Return of Gema sends Project Kenya to another crowded waiting bench

 

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka welcomes the Kikuyu Council of Elders led by Chairman Wachira Wa Kiago to their Party Headquarters. May 30, 2024. [File, Standard]

The return of the Gikuyu, Embu, Meru, and Akamba (Gema) conglomeration into the public space this ended week casts a long shadow on Kenya’s lethargic efforts to manage ethnic diversity.

Significantly, too, the return captures the essence of Gema as a stubborn spirit that refuses to die. Tied up in the double knot, is the failure of Project Kenya, conceived at independence, and the deep ethnic fears and tensions that rule the country. 

Fears within Gema and...