Justice must serve both rich and poor in society

That people may know skillful and godly wisdom and instruction, discern and comprehend the words of understanding and insight, receive instruction in wised dealing and the discipline of wise thoughtfulness, righteousness and integrity.
Proverbs 1:2-3 AMP.

At noon on January 20, a new era dawned on the US when Donald Trump was sworn into office as the 45th President. While this culmination of the election was greeted by disbelief and consternation by many within and outside America, there were those for whom Trump’s victory was a sign of liberation.

They were thrilled by their candidate‘s (and now president’s) repeated promises to free them from the shackles of joblessness, diminishing incomes and insignificance in a country they considered their own. The continued cry of these individuals had remained unheard by other players in mainstream politics, most of whom preached a message that was alien to their daily circumstances, an oversight that was summarily punished at the ballot box in November 2016; their sentiments rang out loud and clear.

Sadly, given Trump’s demeanour after the election was declared combined with his choices for the various Cabinet posts and buttressed by the dismissive statements he has issued over a number of the clarion calls that so galvanised his campaign audiences, his suitability as an instrument of socioeconomic liberation for rural Americans will remain questionable for the foreseeable future.

Oppression doesn’t just affect the poor and vulnerable in society; it afflicts many in positions of leaders and authority. Antoinette* was recently married to her husband when he vied for and won a position in a county assembly. Early in the morning after his victory was announced, a vociferous group of women leaders congregated at their home demanding audience with him.

When she opened her door, they ignored her pleas that her husband was not in the house and sent scouts to search the house and verify her statement. When they realised that this was true that he was not at home, they sat and demanded that she make breakfast for them arguing that it was their rightful due for having propelled the mhesimiwa (honourable member) to high office. They eventually left, each with a memento from the various knickknacks in Antoinette’s house.

It then dawned on Antoinette that it was for good reason that few elected officials permanently reside within the areas that they represent; that those who win elections almost immediately move away to unknown locations more as an act of self-preservation than one of absconding leadership responsibilities.

Antoinette immediately demanded that her husband move her and their baby away from the demanding constituents.
Justice is the foundational pillar upon which families, family businesses and sound societies are built around. In its simplest form, justice means delivering the oppressed and punishing the oppressors within any community setting. It must be the ambition of every leader of family business to be known for their ability to not only empathise with victims of injustice but also to take measures to confront and where necessary punish those who take advantage of others especially within their family ventures.

Victims of injustice can be both the poor and the rich in society; the poor because of the vulnerability that comes from the disadvantages of poverty and the rich because people around them feel entitled to some (or in some extreme cases all) of their wealth. Both require protection and recompense for the acts of prejudice carried out against them.

All forms of injustice must be confronted; the more egregious the acts of oppression the more stern and severe the remonstration so as to ensure that future perpetrators are discouraged from taking unfair advantage of others.

Leaders of family business of integrity can, on account of stations within the business and the society, serve as the moral police of the communities in which they operate.

Extreme cases of oppression against innocent victims should be punished, first to correct the injustice itself and secondly to ensure that oppressors experience penalties rather than benefits for their acts of cruelty. To reward rather than punish individuals for acts of greed or impunity that brought on disaster for those who looked to them for direction is atrocious.

Mr Mutua is a Humphrey Fellow, leadership development consultant
Email: [email protected]