This archive report was first published on 7 November 2019.
As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the importance of national unity cannot be overstated. In Kenya, this unity is crucial in the face of a fast-globalising world. It is also the natural state of our society, before the 'spin masters' and 'negative ad peddlers' took over our national discourse.
Barack Obama's rise to become President of the United States is a stellar example of this unity in action. Just four years before being elected in 2008, he gave his first performance that attracted nationwide interest at the national convention of the DNC in Boston. His keynote address, known as the 'United States of America speech,' centred on the importance of unity, declaring that 'there is not a liberal America and a conservative America—there is the United States of America.'
Fast-forward to today, and Kenyans are reminded of the importance of national unity in the face of divisive politics. The recent news over the past few weeks has brought to the forefront the need for unity, and it is a lesson that Kenyans can learn from the Obamas.
As Michelle Obama famously said, 'When they go low, we go high!' Instead of just shaking our heads at these blatant attempts to divide us, we have to take action and proactively push towards more unity. This can be shown every day on the road, for example, or at work, by being just a bit more polite to your kin.
However, as the main force dividing us right now is made up of a small number of loud politicians, we have to find a way to analyse the political system and change it. A parliamentary system of proportional representation seems like the obvious and optimal solution. It forces MPs to focus on issues and not on tribes, and to reach across ethnical lines to find collaborators.
Ultimately, in spite of those who seek to divide, we are fortunate to have leaders who seek to unify us, leading by example and reaching out to former rivals for the good of the nation. Those are the ones who deserve our support.
