Stop too much politicking and build the nation

President William Ruto. [Edward Kiplimo, Standard]

While defending your government may be a noble act of patriotism, there is a risk of failing to differentiate defending a government in power from beating drums for a candidate running for office.

From the word go, I am an ardent defender of the Kenya Kwanza government. And in the rush of defence, we may act with passions and emotions reminiscent of the campaign days, fail to exercise caution and offend fellow citizens whose choice was different from ours. Through such actions, we inadvertently sustain political divides longer than is politically healthy. The tendency to go overboard isn't restricted to government supporters alone. They're even more severe with the critics.

But insofar as political loyalty is concerned, we are a nation of inconsistencies. Any Kenyan offended by anyone in their defense or criticism of government, should remember that an ardent supporter of government today could turn into a fierce critic tomorrow.

Likewise, those who demonstrated against the government last week could be pro-government demonstrators next week. It therefore behoves us to deal with each other as Kenyans and not as groups in opposition to each other.

As Kenyans, we are not related by political opinions but by a shared citizenry and a common allegiance to the flag and the land of Kenya. While political emotions and political power are both transient, citizenry and nationhood are inevitable destinies.

My advice to those who believe that rioting every Monday and Thursday can make Kenya a better place for us all, they can go ahead and riot. But do so in cultured and civil ways - ways that would not damage the fabric of our society or weaken the bond of our nationhood. If any of your actions during rioting depict lack of culture and civility, you are anti-Kenyan.

Equally those in power and/or in the proximity of power must show the world that they share in President William Ruto's oft-repeated statement during the campaigns that "power is transient".

They should not contemplate, even for a moment, that jealously guarding the power they constitutionally won, might require a resort to unconstitutional force. If they indeed agree that power is transient, they must also agree that no force, outside the legal one, can change that transitory nature.

On the economic challenges facing us, I do not blame President Ruto - just as I do not also blame him for the eloquence and quintessential smartness he displayed during the campaigns which skyrocketed our hopes in his government.

However, while I still count on his smartness and that ability to build a better Kenya, I do not believe his campaign plan can be effectively delivered now that he is in office.

Indeed, it would be naive for anyone to expect that President Ruto's campaign plan can be wholly turned into a government plan and delivered as promised.

Therefore, President Ruto should embrace the reality that running an effective campaign and effectively running a government are worlds apart. What is expected to remain constant, however, is the President's overriding message of change and his strong will to make Kenya a better country than he found it.

He must chart a new and practical roadmap to deliver for Kenya. In so doing, it would help if the President reminded himself, every day in office, that he may have campaigned in poetry but must now run the country in prose.

With the ability he has exhibited in his political life, it should not be difficult for President Ruto to shift from being an effective campaigner to a transformational leader. That shift must happen sooner than later. Meanwhile, let's politick less and build our beloved country.

-The writer is an engineer and works in Marsabit County.