The Current Discussion: The slaughter last week of Kikuyus and Luos in Kenya reminded us that this is a world of tribes. How should wise governments deal with the reality of tribal loyalties and tribal violence?
NAIROBI - I have been shocked by the violence that followed the December 27, 2007 elections in my country, Kenya. The violence has left at least 500 dead, many wounded and more than 300,000 internally displaced persons. There is overwhelming evidence of rape in the conflict areas and the lives of children are in jeopardy due to hunger and outbreaks of disease. Houses have been burnt down and property destroyed. The East African region is feeling the effects of Kenya’s violent unrest. But the violence is not just about ethnic difference: it is mainly about limited resources, glaring inequalities, manipulation of difference for political gain and the failure of governance institutions such as the Electoral Commission of Kenya.
What should wise governments do to address difference? They need to recognize diversity as part of human existence and accommodate it. They need to build strong and accountable institutions of governance. They need to grow leadership that is responsive to the needs of citizens. They need to address social and economic inequalities and ensure equity in resource allocation. They need to listen to the voice of the people at all times. Wise governments should not be alienated from their citizens. They should facilitate the growth of issue-based politics and de-emphasize the politics of patronage and uncritical loyalty to individuals and ethno-linguistic groups.
It is unfortunate that the primary objective of most political leaders in the world continues to be personal gain and individual preservation as well as financial advantage. Few have shown political principle in addressing local and global issues. Instead, poverty and deprivation, political expediency and support from ethnic communities have been used to perpetuate violence.
In Africa, for instance, access to land, water, pastures and other resources coupled with political manipulation have continued to heighten tensions among communities over the years. Furthermore, the ‘winner-take-all’ system and the real and imagined benefits associated with political office put immense pressure and anxiety on leaders and their supporters during election periods. In many cases, politicians ignite mistrust and encourage violence in order to reach their goals and maintain or acquire power. In certain cases, this means physically removing people from specific constituencies as well as ethnic cleansing. When the goals of politicians merge with those of ordinary people in their quest for land and employment, a recipe for violence becomes potent. This potency can be aggravated by the existence of small arms, an inefficient and biased police force and poor infrastructure. These things can be tackled if we have an informed, committed, accountable and democratic leadership. They can be tackled if citizens are able to demand accountability and transparency of their leaders. Wise governments should uphold justice at all times in the conduct of their affairs.
Ethnicity is just one of the many identities we possess as human beings. We are farmers, teachers, doctors, welders, artists, men, women, parents, students. We can invoke these other identities and de-emphasize the ethnic identity, when necessary. Wise governments allow citizens to move in and out of these identities freely.
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