Let’s party, it’s Jubilee time after all; ooh la la!

The Jubilee Party is doing just that - partying. Jubilee, for all practical purposes, means celebration. There is no philosophy, no history and no inspiration. So why are Kenyans angry? Why is the President ranting and raving? Let the party begin!

In the biblical book of Leviticus, from verse 8 of chapter 25, especially verses 12 and 13, the Bible says: “For it is the jubilee, it shall be holy unto you: You shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. In the year of this jubilee you shall return every man unto his possession.”

Where on earth is the problem? Kenyans are happy, safe and healthy. Our women are giving birth, our cattle, goats and sheep are doing well.

The youth, our future and our hope, are in school or college. The youths at National Youth Service (NYS) are healthy and strong, performing spectacular martial arts feats and breaking bricks in the process. Are they not doing well?

Jubilee Party is a great name and Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches and loving favour rather than silver and gold” Who is fooling who and why?

Who ate a lot of NYS goodies or the Sh8 billion from the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB)? Victoria Rotich and her daughter Celestine Chepchirchir are demanding “apologies” from the Government for calling them a “cartel” – a highly derogatory term. Meanwhile, the Cabinet secretaries for Public Service and Agriculture say no funds were lost.

Ladies and gentlemen, remember to observe etiquette and decorum when celebrating. Acts of commission and omission are not intended. Teachers can beat up pupils for all they care and when asked, say it was only a joke.

Doctors can forget scalpels in the wombs of mothers because they don’t care. As part of the fun, engineers can build sub-standard roads called “low volume seal” and we clap our hands.

Dams are built that can burst and kill people and we “accept and move on”. Jubilee Party is having a great time. Public corporations should not have functional boards. And the few that are functional, like the Kenya Revenue Authority, must be destabilised.

Public discourse

The commissions that guide public discourse like the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Independent Policing Oversight Authority, National Gender and Equality Commission, the Commission on Administration of Justice and Public Service Commission among others must be in limbo.

The Judiciary too, must be under-stated and under-funded because we are in Jubilee. The Court of Appeal must hang so that the Supreme Court is starved. We are all on holiday; ‘uta do’?

Let the party begin. Teachers are eating “free school” and lecturers are eating “parallel programmes”. The governors are eating “devolution” and MPs are eating “Parliament”. Shida iko wapi? Kuleni matunda ya Uhuru, kazi baadaye. Even the gods are happy with us, generously donating a lot of rain. Let the Party begin.

However, ladies and gentlemen, as Francis Imbuga in his play ‘Game of Silence’ wrote: “I do not see the value of words when my legs can still carry me. I am not yet tired, so I say this: let us dance the dance of the future… I will soon be myself. The room in my mind will soon be filled again. Do not let my temporary loss of memory bother you… maybe we should let them sleep on for a little while. It is their first real opportunity. Isn’t it?”

The year of our Lord 2022 is drawing nigh. Beneath the party parlour, tectonic forces are moving fast and furiously. After the year of Jubilee Party (ing), it is decreed that the land will prosper in leaps and bounds. The Big Four will come to pass and a new nation will emerge with great leaders leading great people.

In the Book of Daniel 5:1, 4, and 5, “Belshazzar the King made a great feast (Jubilee Party or similar) to a thousand of his Lords, and drank wine before the thousand... They drank wine and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood and of stone.

“In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the Kings Palace: and the King saw, the part of the hand that wrote.”

Dear Kenyans be still, the writings are on the wall – Mene mene tekel uphar-sin. The Jubilee Jamboree is cooked.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. In Kenya, after all, there are 7,000 men and women whose knees have not knelt and whose tongues have not confessed to Baal.

Be of good cheer, fellow Kenyans, we will redeem our glory and heritage of splendour. Firm may we stand to defend.

Mr Chesang is a historian