Wanjiku’s role after the handshake

A few weeks ago, President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga surprised the nation by publicly meeting, signing a document outlining broad areas of agreement for fixing Project Kenya. They signaled this with a handshake.

The reaction from across the country and political spectrum was mixed. The process leading to what has become known simply as ‘the handshake’ was handled in secret, partly out of the need to avoid interference by other politicians.

While there was some level of skepticism at first, these have grown much louder. The events at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport when Miguna Miguna attempted to come back to Kenya pursuant to a court order and the exchanges since then have further strengthened opposition to the handshake.

The legal issues surrounding the return have been debated. The more fundamental issue, however, relates to the extent to which the country is still committed to the rule of law.

Against these events, the lingering question is what the utility of the rapprochement between the two erstwhile political opponents is. In a conversation this past week I held the view that the handshake was good for the country and must be supported. My views have not changed.

The events of the 2017 elections brought to the fore the deep-seated divisions in Kenya. These divisions though did not start with the 2017 elections. They were the driving forces for the 2007 post-election violence.

Although the country has made tremendous efforts in addressing the underlying causes of tensions and divisions, last year demonstrated that we may have made two steps forward and one back, if not two steps forward and three back.

READ: Hard work lies ahead after Uhuru, Raila deal

The problems facing Kenya cannot be wished away through enactment of law, a handshake or signing of a document on building bridges to a united Kenya. These problems are deep-seated. Some are real. Others are about perception.

It is, therefore, shocking, that despite what one’s views are about the Miguna debacle, it can form a basis for criticising the handshake. On the contrary those events confirm the importance of the handshake.

The confirmation is that the problems in Kenya are not fictional or imagined. They are a demonstration of our lack of a shared vision as a society.

The fact that even what should essentially be a straight forward matter can be subject of fundamental legal disagreement, results in a fresh round of public spats between the Executive and Judiciary is symptomatic of what ails Kenya.

Before the fresh presidential election in Kenya, I said that if we did not put in place mechanisms for addressing those issues ahead of elections, they may never be resolved in our generation.

Instead, I argued, we would have to pass on that responsibility to our children. While the handshake may prove that I might have been too pessimistic, the inescapable reality is that solving Kenya’s problems requires a long-term focus. There cannot be quick fixes.

As a country, we have to dedicate ourselves to building a united and cohesive society. This cannot be the task for the President and Mr Odinga.

The debate about whether the handshake was genuine or not misses the point.

The event only provided a foundation for structured conversations about how best to deal with the things that divide us as a country. More efforts should, therefore, be spent on creating impetus for this task.

Having been involved in efforts to think through how best to restore and reconcile Kenya, I am convinced that providing a sustainable solution will continue being elusive until we genuinely put our energies to speaking with each other, compromising and honestly acknowledging our problems.

The current criticism of the handshake, may unfortunately be an effort of outsourcing that task to two individuals, however important they are in the country.

Politics is an important facet our life. However, its pervasive influence on all processes in the country is partly to blame for our lack of progress on the underlying challenges facing the country. Politics feeds on some of these problems.

To expect that politicians will change their nature just because of one event is to be naïve. Instead we must grab opportunity to redressing the challenges that confront us.
We should stop viewing the handshake as the magic wand.