This archive report was first published on 9 December 2019.
Published on December 9, 2019, the Building Bridges Initiative report has sparked a much-needed conversation about Kenya's social norms and their impact on the country's progress.
The report's proposed constitutional, legislative, and policy recommendations aim to address the country's challenges, but it fails to explain why previous constitutional changes have not guaranteed a free democratic state where the rule of law is respected and human rights are upheld.
According to the report, the answer lies in Kenya's societal norms, which prioritize ethnic identities over merit and hard work. As long as this 'national ethos' is lacking, no amount of constitutional and legislative reforms will deliver the country from destructive ethnic-based politics characterized by corruption, rent-seeking, and cronyism.
The report acknowledges that most laws and institutions are ineffective, yet it proposes that the solutions lie in more laws or reforms. However, the question remains: why are constitutional organs unable or unwilling to effectively and truthfully carry out their mandates?
The answer is simple: Kenyans' culture is inconsistent with these laws, hindering their execution. While societal norms are not easy to change, sustained implementation of laws can gradually change them over time.
For example, female circumcision and early marriage are rife in some remote parts of northern Kenya and Rift Valley, but not in Nairobi or urban centers, despite the law prohibiting them. This is because these practices are unacceptable in cities, and people will report any cases to the authorities, resulting in sanctions.
However, the same cannot be said for corruption, which many Kenyans still believe is permissible and tend to tolerate instead of genuinely condemning it through their actions.
As a country, Kenyans must deliberately choose to do what is right and avoid the temptation of easy money stolen from state coffers by unscrupulous state and non-state operatives.
It is time for a national dialogue on how Kenya got to this point and quickly agree on an exit strategy to the right path – or risk an imminent state failure.
