|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
On Saturday, 9th November, I had the opportunity to attend a masterclass titled Class in Session, where the guest speaker was Narc Kenya party leader and political powerhouse, Hon. Martha Karua. The masterclass was organised by Richard Njau, known more for his YouTube series Cleaning The Airwaves (CTA) that chronicles the journeys of titans of different industries and icons of Kenyan society, documenting their highs and lows on their path to success. Martha has featured on CTA as well, and like many icons who have graced the guest’s armchair next to Richard, she gave a most memorable account of her life’s journey and opened up about the lessons and experiences that emboldened her to stay the course, never straying from truth and justice.
The Martha Karua CTA episodes were especially inspiring and enlightening because her account also takes us through key moments in Kenya’s political history – moments that remind us (especially Kenyan millennials and Gen Zs) that the path we set out on in June 2024 is a most necessary path to a better and greater Kenya.
Through watching Martha’s interview and participating in the masterclass, I have appreciated just how much her journey serves as an inspiration to Kenyan men and women from all backgrounds. Most Kenyans know her only for her contributions to championing for justice and the rule of law during Moi’s final years as president, and as water minister and later justice minister during Kibaki’s presidency, as a presidential candidate in 2013, and most recently as the running mate on the Azimio coalition’s presidential ticket. However, this view does not provide key contextual information that would give us better insight into her humble background and her upbringing as a second-born child and daughter of a working-class family in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County, a daughter of Central Kenya who rose up the ranks to become a symbol of fearlessness and an example for women and men across the country and the continent.
While I got to listen to Martha’s account first-hand during the masterclass (and got some pictures with her too – in true millennial fashion), I also had the privilege of being among the first people to get a copy of her memoir, aptly titled Against The Tide: My journey on a less trodden path. My strong recommendation at this point, my beloved reader, would be for you to not deny yourself this piece of history and to get yourself a copy of this memoir at your earliest convenience.
Listening to Martha giving her account of her journey and answering questions about what she thinks of the current political climate got me thinking about what we as Kenyans consider to be “great” politicians and leaders.
Do we rank political leaders based on how far they have risen in rank in elective positions? By that standard, all Kenyan presidents are great political leaders. However, it does not feel right to rank Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Moi, Mwai Kibaki, Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto as the greatest leaders. Kenyans, and more so Kenyan millennials and Gen Zs would strongly object to using “great” as the adjective to describe our current head of state and some of his predecessors, and would likely restrict the use of this adjective to describe only Mwai Kibaki.
Should we then consider “greatness” in political leadership as a factor of the economic gains and sector reforms that a leader has overseen during their tenure? By this standard, Mwai Kibaki again stands out, and perhaps Michuki’s reforms during his time as Kenya’s transport minister earn him a spot on the list. Some could even consider Matiang’i for his reforms in education and reining in on exam cheating during Uhuru’s term.
Should we consider overall longevity? By this standard, we have Raila Odinga, James Orengo, and of course, the individual who led me down this rabbit hole, Martha Karua. However, in considering longevity as the one quality to examine when ranking great political leaders, perhaps we should also introspect on whether the longevity was matched with consistency in what the political leaders in question presented as their “value proposition” to Kenyans. By this standard, some of our “great” leaders have in recent years taken paths that have left their followers feeling confused, deceived and betrayed.
Perhaps the more honest criteria for Kenyans to use in ranking political leaders should be their consistency in standing for and supporting the rule of law, and choosing to lend their support to the causes that fight for social justice, or fight to empower citizens. Or perhaps the more objective way to look at our political leaders and consider them great or not great is to grade them based on how well they represented the people that voted for them, and by how the legislation they passed or ministry or county government projects they initiated improved the lives of the people they served. And by their consistency in supporting these causes.
Unfortunately, if we take this direction, for every political leader that we could consider “great”, there are some glaring blemishes – blemishes that would relegate some individuals from the ranks of those considered consistent supporters of the greater good, to those of politicians who under the right circumstances will prioritise their individual gain over the interests of Kenyans. We Kenyans even have a go-to phrase to desensitise ourselves from the inevitable heartbreak of learning that a political leader has gone against what we thought were his beliefs and ideals and supported a political agenda that objectively would put Kenyans, and Kenya, in a worse-off position. When you bring up the conspicuous flaws in the career of a political leader, some Kenyans will be quick to remind you that “politics is about interests, not about the people”, despite there being examples of politicians who repeatedly choose to be about the people even when being against the people would obviously result in their individual gain – both in economic opportunities and in status.
The Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) and the Broad-Based Government are ready examples of moments when a majority of Kenyan political leaders chose their political survival over the will of the people, but there are many more. Parliamentarians voting for the Finance Bill 2024 despite their constituents directly reaching out to them to implore them to reject the bill also comes to mind. The transport ministry increasing the road maintenance levy despite thousands of Kenyans submitting memoranda rejecting the hike is yet another example of political leaders not listening to the voice of the people from whom they derive their authority.
When we put all the above criteria into perspective, we are unfortunately left with very few political leaders actively pursuing the interests of Kenyans. The events of June 2024 and the months that followed have reduced this number drastically. The voice of the people of Kenya denouncing the current regime and rejecting the policy proposals that are objectively unsound and imprudent was as loud as it could possibly be, yet hundreds of political leaders turned a deaf ear to this voice.
As I was listening to Martha Karua give an account of her political journey, I realised she is among the few political leaders who have supported the people and publicly denounced any regime that has lost its way. Martha went as far as to resign as the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs in protest at being sidelined in crucial matters pertaining to her docket. Martha was also a significant voice when Kenyans were rejecting the Building Bridges Initiative that would have seen more political seats created with no practical value added for Kenyans. Most recently, Martha and her Narc Kenya Party withdrew from the Azimio coalition when the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) chose to join the Kenya Kwanza coalition in yet another infamous handshake-style union. In her view, it would be disingenuous and an extreme betrayal of the Kenyan people for her to join hands with the same regime that was responsible for the death of over sixty young protesters who were unlawfully and brutally killed for exercising their democratic rights – rights that are guaranteed by the Constitution of Kenya 2010, the supreme law of the land.
Even on matters succession, in a field where the stronger and more prominent individuals and personalities are always the face of the party and the de facto party leaders, Martha still pursues a higher ideal. In the masterclass, Martha announced that they, in Narc Kenya, are reviewing their party constitution to set term limits for the party leaders – a step aimed at ensuring that Martha should not be party leader in perpetuity and a move that I would recommend for all political parties in Kenya. It is encouraging to see this come from a party leader, especially at a time when other political leaders are proposing amendments to the Constitution of Kenya to extend the term limits of elected leaders.
Of course, there are those who believed and never questioned the narrative that places much of the responsibility for the 2007 post-election violence on Martha. However, I would call on all Kenyans to be honest in how we recount the events surrounding this most painful period in our recent history. As one introspective user on X recently posted, should we place all blame on the chief election agent of the ruling party (Martha) but conveniently ignore the role of the cronies who were the incumbent’s inner circle? What of the chair of the Electoral Commission of Kenya who did not deliver on his mandate? Or the Chief Justice who swore in the incumbent? Or the individuals who we later learned planned the violence? The individuals who were tried at the International Criminal Court for planning or coordinating the violence? Martha was confronted with this question during the masterclass and by her own admission, her one regret was that she never addressed or countered this specific narrative. A narrative that took on a life of its own such that it is easy to come across Kenyans on social media referencing 2007 as the one blemish on Martha’s political career. But when you ask what exactly they are blaming Martha for, there is never a coherent response.
A lot has happened since the events of 25 June 2024; Kenyans have been taken through a crash course of public participation, constitutional provisions, inconvenient political mergers (a marriage of inconvenience?), and even a fairly questionable impeachment of a sitting Deputy President. But in all of this, we cannot ignore the loudest message of the last 150 days: Ruto Must Go. To date, Martha Karua and Okiya Omtatah are among the few political leaders who have publicly, consistently and explicitly agreed with the sentiments of the Kenyan citizens that the current regime lost legitimacy when it ignored the voice of Kenyans calling for the rejection of an unpopular Finance Bill and the dissolution of the cabinet, and when it killed innocent Kenyans for protesting.
In the masterclass, one guest asked Martha why she keeps fighting and stays true to the cause. Her response is what I would expect from all political leaders and Kenyans who are aware of how far we have come as a country: to ensure we abide by the Constitution of Kenya 2010 that was a culmination of decades of pushing for reforms, and to create a Kenya in which every citizen would be empowered to hold their leaders accountable for their actions. Rule of law and justice.
Martha has stood head and shoulders above the rest of the political leadership when it comes to staying true to how she presented herself in politics – as a champion for social justice and the rule of law. Martha has been among the few political leaders who in recent months have repeatedly called out the Kenya Kwanza regime for the abduction and killing of Kenyan youth – most recently alongside former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and other leaders when Boniface Mwangi was abducted. Even as I write, I have learnt that Martha (together with Professor Kivutha Kibwana, Kabando wa Kabando, Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, and other leaders) has once again called out the Kenya Kwanza regime for systematically dismantling education at all levels. Only Busia County Senator Okiya Omtatah would be an equal in this regard (in consistently calling out the ills of the current regime). And it would be remiss of me not to mention the iconic Wangari Maathai, the 2004 Nobel Prize winner, and a Kenyan political leader who was equally consistent in standing up for good governance.
My final takeaway from the masterclass, and from Martha’s political journey, is that we Kenyans owe it to ourselves to support and to continue publicly supporting those political leaders that have remained true to the people even in moments when the easier thing to do would have been to side with the government of the day. We owe it to ourselves to be more critical and honest when judging our political leaders, and to stop making excuses for leaders who have clearly gone against the wishes of Kenyans.
Leaders like Martha Karua should not be the exception but rather should be the standard for political leaders. Leaders that serve us. Leaders that do not tire but continue to lend their voice to the call for social justice, the rule of law and constitutionalism. Leaders that will create an enabling environment for our democracy to thrive. My personal opinion, and I know millions of Kenyans agree with this, is that Martha is among the top five greatest political leaders to ever work for the Kenyan people, regardless of gender. But you, my beloved reader, do not have to rely on my words to agree with my position. You can read her memoir and be the judge. And in doing so, I trust that you shall keep in mind that you deserve the better leader; you do not have to settle for the lesser evil.
