The other day, one of my few friends told me he follows my online fights, or rather my battles online and wondered why there is a lot of belligerence on Kenyan cyber-sphere. He was wrong and right at the same time. When it comes to online wars, my posts are limited to three because I do not think with my fingers. There is no denying that there are so many 'analysts' and 'experts' — far too many — on Kenyan cyber-sphere who hide behind computers and smart phones to hurl insults when their 'analysis' and uninformed 'expert opinion' is challenged or questioned.
It is not easy to understand why this is so. But in Kenya, when there is some logic that you feel should die or you want to kill, just post it online, especially on Facebook. I say this because social media is where logic goes to dies as hubris and poor grammar take over. Kenyans have perfected the art of online wars and can start fighting over any issue that many a time does not add value to the national discourse or even their own lives.
Some issues are laughable. The other day, for instance, there was a fight about single mothers. Ideally, the war about, or with single mothers is probably the longest–running on Kenyan cyber-sphere. Single motherhood is a touchy subject in Kenya I must say. While others wear that status as a badge of honour of sorts, several others see it as an insult, and do not waste a second to lose their cool when single mothers are mentioned.
The proud ones will demand recognition for all that they have done for their children as if they are being forced and the ones who think that being referred to as single mothers are being insulted always spend hours telling others how useless men have become or are.
This group is always short of demanding that some legislation be put in place so that single mothers can access interest-free loans, get paid by the government or even be given free-housing and be employed by the government and private entities without their skills being even considered.
On Father's Day, one could feel the pain as Kenyans exchanged blows and argued whether single mothers ought to be honoured as the real fathers; the men in their children's' lives and the true heroes — not heroines — in this Parenting Conundrum which has no definite formula.
Never mind that there is Single Parents' Day, Mothers' Day, International Men's Day, Widows' Day and International Women's Day. Ideally, everyone, or every kind of parent is covered and even over-represented, but what do I know? When it comes to the issue of single motherhood (in Kenya) I have no opinion, and that is why I prefer the politically correct term of unmarried parents/mothers since some of them could be dating and have very supportive partners who do much more than even the child's biological father could have done.
Then there is politics on the Kenyan cyber-sphere. This is the most emotive subject and Kenyans are at their belligerent worst when discussing which direction the country is not going. When you read their posts and comments, the only https://cdn.standardmedia.co.ke/images you see are those of dead people who have been hacked, burned, dismembered, shot or stoned and you can only wonder why Kenyans are such an angry and violent people who do not wish to live in peace.
If you want to know how divided Kenya is, visit the Kenyan cyber-sphere. The kind of hatred that exists there can set the country ablaze. People do not talk to one another anymore. In Kenya, social media is anything but social. I say this because, besides killing logic, social media is where Kenyans go to tell the most stupid lies, spread hatred and openly express their murderous thoughts.
Some of these people are parents, single, married or whatever, and their children or their children's friends are also on these social media platforms, and they read these posts and comments that are not only illogical but are filled with hatred, intolerance and destructive ideas.
Sadly, these are the same people who ask where Kenya's teenagers get the idea or even the guts to cause destruction or set schools on fire when there is a power outage or when they are told they cannot watch a football match.
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