We must learn from shifting political trends and forge nationhood

Churchill Saoke - a PhD Student from Jomo Kenyatta University who has won the Mandela - Washington Fellowship for young african leaders 2015.

Recent developments in the global scene such as Britain’s exit from the European Union, the rise of US President Donald Trump and the increasing popularity of extreme nationalists, have raised questions regarding the shifting trends of global politics. This necessitates a discussion on the relationship between domestic politics and international politics. The idea that nationalists are continually realising that with the rise of multi actors in the global scene, the survival of a nation is dependent on strengthening the domestic web.

It is said that international politics begins where domestic politics ends, meaning all politics begin local. Domestic politics is only considered successful when the national fabric is deliberately constructed into a nation; where the imagined character of the nation, the culture, the values, the spirit and the aspirations are instilled in people.

This is nationalism, the idea that the world is divided into nations that provide the overriding focus of political identity, loyalty and devotion to a nation; which in turn demands national self-determination, a sense of national consciousness and that emphasizes on the promotion of its culture, spirit, aspirations and interest.

Nationalists think of the nation in different ways, but actually defining a nation is more difficult than defining nationalism. Some authors stress features such as language, some focus on the common culture, some focus on religion while others look at it from its imagined character.

Dominant cultures

Nationalism as a political ideology or  political worldview can shape and has shaped people’s sense of political identity. Two categories of nationalism come to mind; the first one is civic nationalism which is devotion to the state, its values and culture.

The second one is ethnic nationalism which is considered as the commitment to a group of common descent. In the latter case, a nation precedes the state. A question as to the justification to moralising any of the two nationalisms has arisen like for instance how possible is it to construct a state from multi-nations within it? How possible is it to invoke the dominant cultures and religions to seek self-determination into states? How can multi-ethnic society be merged into a single nation?

These questions are important to ask, especially at the Kenya’s national leadership. For far too long Kenya has had a challenge of national cohesion, especially among the different tribes.

The pursuit of national unity has focused more on political amalgamation of the different ‘ethnic nations.’

The sustainability of this approach is questionable considering that political membranes can easily be permeated by either personalised or external interest thereby fracturing the national fabric which in consequence reduces the country’s chances of leveraging herself among the community of nations.

Common stand

The following are some two possible thoughts on the path to nationhood. First, the political leadership must take a common stand to deliberately inspire us to aspirations that go beyond personal gain and that bring the worthiness on a Kenyan.

We can craft an imagined Kenyan character that emphasises on the social values that bring us together as a people while demonising those aspects that take our loyalty to the ethnic demigods.

Tough punitive measures should be enacted to punish persons that imagine or appear to make others imagine of their tribes.

When zero tolerance to ethnicity begins at the top and if institutions are made to see the Kenyan in terms of what he/she can contribute to her country, then it will trickle down to the people and soon it will no longer matter where one comes from, how he/she speaks or who he/she knows.

Tanzania, with over 130 tribes, has successfully united the country into a nation and as a result they have been able to forge a united front to pursue their national interests against the challenges from alternative identities arising from globalisation.

Dr Churchill Saoke is an expert on governance, international relations and is the Director for Alumni and International Students Office at JKUAT