Dear President Uhuru Kenyatta, here is how you can cement your legacy

Dear Mr President

Your Excellency, now that Sagana 3 is over, I humbly request that you permit me the privilege of writing to you through the only medium available to me to communicate to you.

Let me start by appreciating the work that you have done to renew Kenya’s road and rail infrastructure and the huge investments in water and electricity.

While people will make irresponsible and annoying statements about not eating roads, in due time they will appreciate your accomplishments, which are evident across Kenya.

As our people say, “imenyaguo yari iria yakua” translated; a cow’s enormous milk production is only celebrated after it dies.

At the software level, your short reign has brought together three communities that were politically antagonistic, the Kalenjin and Kikuyu in 2013 and the Kikuyu and Luo in 2022. This has made Kenya closer to being a nation as opposed to a conglomeration of ethnic groups.

As you head to the twilight of your tenure, there are areas that I believe would cement your legacy better if handled well in the remaining months. On your succession, it is your democratic right to prefer a candidate.

However, you do realise that the investment you made in 2013 is at risk of coming unstuck.

While it is acceptable to oppose your deputy, any statements that suggest a rejection of his community takes us back to pre-Jubilee antagonism.

It would help to clarify that you consider all communities, the Kalenjin included, as legitimate carriers of the Kenyan dream. Your Excellency, you will know that as of now, your deputy is the most popular Presidential candidate in Central Kenya. 

If there are reasons known to you that should make the people of the Mountain wary of Dr Ruto, more needs to be disclosed. It is difficult to sustain an argument that he should be shunned because “he is a thief”.

In Kenya, corruption allegations are usually levelled for political ends. Your own family has been thrown all manner of mud on this score without substantiation.

The only way that this accusation obtains merit is the production of supporting evidence publicly, even where there may be political reasons not to prosecute the villain.

On candidate Raila Odinga, since multiparty elections commenced in 1992, the Odingas have been demonised in Central Kenya relentlessly.

In both 2013 and 2017, your Jubilee team was vicious in the attacks on the former PM despite his illustrious public service history.

To undo the volume of diatribe against him will require a lot more direct talk, explaining why the demonisation should be ignored and why he is the best bet for Central Kenya and of course the country.

On the church, we all know that Kenya has numerous rogue churches. However, criticism against the church must clearly target these miscreants and not appear to be targeting the entire church community as the latter is the backbone of this country. 

On the economy, your advisors may not be fully truthful, but people are suffering. While the state of the economy is not all your government’s doing, unfortunately, the buck stops with you.

Any erroneous information that you issue on the economy, like producer prices of milk coffee and tea, sounds out of touch and uncaring.

It would be great to acknowledge the impact of the economy on the people and explain that there are plans to deal with people’s concerns with specific target on the bottom economy. 

Finally, your Excellency, we have always known you to be a democrat. It will help to assure Kenyans that ultimately you will hand over to the person they vote for.

Ultimately, your supports will follow your advice, but it must be because it has merit, not because there exists an underlying fear of chaos.

Respectfully yours.