‘He’s one of our own’ is a crippling mindset for nation
Former Kenyan president the late Mwai Kibaki. When the economy improved under him, it did not only improve for his community but for everyone. PHOTO | FILE | NMG
Recently, a new senator listed on his Twitter account the number of tribesmen and women he was able — through his influence — to get appointed to various high government positions. The post made no reference to their competency or integrity. What it was celebrating was the ethnic character of the appointees.
The post, innocent on the surface, indicates that Kenya, and Africa by extension, has never really moved away from a virulent and crippling mindset. This mindset gauges an ethnic community’s progress by the number of tribesmen appointed as Cabinet ministers, principal secretaries and heads of parastatals. In the logic of this retrogressive mentality, it does not matter whether the tribesmen run down a ministry through incompetence, or bankrupt a parastatal through thievery. That is besides the point. The point is that the person running the ministry or department is “one of our own”.
