“Mt Kenya is divided”. This statement is being made with such finality that one would think the ice-capped mountain has split down the middle and is about to cover the country with a deluge of magma of fire and fury.
The sense of foreboding that the region feels concerning 2022 is comical. It is as if the world will come to an abrupt end if Mount Kenya does not vote for itself.
Since 2002, the Luhya community has never voted as a bloc and they are not worse for wear because of it. In fact, Western Kenya has seen development and great changes. The idea of having a DP or a president from your region as benefit is a moot point. Development is devolved and all of Kenya is changing and these gains are not ones that can be pulled back.
To put it more clearly, because Luhyas tend not to vote for one party, they are seldom the subject of tribal vitriol. This is because you can't blame the community for belonging to one side or the other. It is this democracy that has given Western Kenya peace and tolerance for they are also rarely aggressors in any political fight.
Of course naysayers will argue that if Western Kenya was united, one of their own would be president in 2022. But that would only be important if having a president from your region means that region will receive more resources, that CDF cash would double and superhighways instead of single lane roads will be built there. But the truth is that having a president from your region has no value in a dignified society.
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If the three terms of a Kikuyu presidency has not made Central Kenya first world and the rest of Kenya third world, then no tribe should expect 'their' presidents to benefit them in a special way. In fact, it is MPs from Central who shout the most that they have been let down.
As such, the divisions in Mt Kenya are not a threat to any right thinking Kenyan or Mt Kenyan. It is a blessing to this country. The less Mt Kenya votes as a tribal bloc, the better for the larger nation and the benefits will accrue quickly. The less Mt Kenya votes as a bloc, the more likely a candidate from outside the region can be president and that means Kenya will become more democratic.
That said, I find the division narrative of Mt Kenya laughable. Their MPs keep claiming they are divided and some say that Sagana 2 didn't help. But the question is, what are you divided about? It isn't revenue allocation and surely, it isn't anything that directly touches on Wanjiku.
You are divided based on 2022. You are hedging your bets on certain candidates and hoping that if the candidates carry you along, then you are the natural successor to the kingpinship or queenpinship of the region. The truth is, those shouting loudest about divisions are shouting about themselves and their selfish interests. Wanjiku is not a priority for them and she probably will never be.
There is nothing wrong with the people being divided along political lines. There is nothing wrong with some people in Central being Tangatanga and others Kieleweke. This is the beauty of democracy — to agree to disagree. Have you ever seen Luhyas fighting each other when they vote for different parties and candidates? Are the Luhyas at war? No they are not. Luhya unity and Kikuyu unity need to go the same way; let the people decide. They do not need kingpins and Kenya doesn't need kingpins.
A divided Mt Kenya will eventually ruin the tribal arithmetic and then our leaders will finally have to run issue-based campaigns. They will have to appeal to our minds, not our tribal hearts for votes and that is how 'we the people' will win, as the politicians lose. The politicians are scared they are losing grip of the status quo because united ethnic groups mean easy votes and easy positions for them.
Politically disjointed tribes spell doom for their machinations. Let us take our power back, let us be politically divided but united and peaceful in our day-to-day tasks. Let us work together and be good neighbours who vote for different parties and candidates without feeling like we have betrayed our nation.
Let the mountain divide, I say, Kenya will be better for it! Just like the lava flow of an erupting mountain eventually fertilises and springs new growth, let the mountain froth. It will divide our politicians but unite this nation. And while we are at it; may the Rift and Lake Victoria divide too!
