This archive report was first published on 16 November 2019.
On November 15, 2019, the Daily Nation published a headline that caught the attention of many Kenyans: 'Uhuru faces Mt Kenya to unite troops.' The significance of this headline lies in its connection to the book Facing Mount Kenya, written by Jomo Kenyatta, the founder of our nation and Uhuru's father.
As a nation, we would not have missed the double significance of this headline. Firstly, Facing Mount Kenya is a literary champion of Kenya's nationalism. Secondly, the book's author, Jomo Kenyatta, is the biological father of our present President, Uhuru Kenyatta.
Uhuru's father, Jomo, played a significant role in shaping our nation's history. He was the first holder of the independent nation's most significant office and bequeathed it to Uhuru. Jomo was also the chief preacher of our nation's quasi-religions ideologies, including uhuru ('freedom') and harambee, the traditional East African way of calling the public to a collective responsibility.
When Uhuru succeeded Jomo, it was met with thunderous applause from the newly-born nation and the world. However, Uhuru's leadership is not without its imperfections. Despite this, he has maintained the institutions of freedom created by his father.
As a young democracy, Kenya is not immune to the challenges of human imperfection. Our leaders, including Uhuru, are not perfect, but they strive to create a better society. The European phrase 'to err is human' reminds us that perfection is an unattainable goal in any field, including politics.
Humanity's pursuit of perfection is a driving force behind our progress. While we may not achieve perfection, we can strive to create 'specific perfection' in our societies. This ideal should inspire leaders to produce ideas and things that benefit their societies.
