At the risk of being politically incorrect, I took my voter’s card last week. Niko kadi. And you; are either registered too, are doing so now, or are planning to do so in the nearest future possible. Rightfully so. Our position as citizens is so far wanting. Ni mbayaaa. And not the proverbial ‘ni mbayaaa.’ Not even the metaphorical one. The literal one.
How bad? How wanting?
So bad I almost had no lunch today (this has nothing to do with my comrade status; COMRADE POWER!)(Also don’t feel sorry for me, I’ll probably have a smocha soon). So bad that the level of crime is reaching a boiling point, young men so hopeless that the only way they expect to survive is through taking by force. So bad that the women who birthed us, our primal symbol of care, no longer carry smiles on their faces to lift our spirits; nothing is funny anymore. So sad. So bad.
Blame game: Let’s play
Can you blame anyone? I’ll give you reasons why you can’t just blame anyone, we have to specify the blame. We have to be specific with it.
You cannot blame the hopeless young men for their taking things by force and drowning in the bitter sea of crime, don’t you see that what’s theirs is taken from them everyday by force? Action reaction is a law of this universe, physicists am I right?
You cannot blame me, Suleiman, for having no lunch. Where did you expect me to get some? Rather, do I seem like the IMF to you?
Similarly you cannot place this weighty blame on our mothers, our chalices (grail lore for the divine feminine) for with-holding their love and care, because when they smiled during the last election, they were taken advantage of in the silly name of, “Maslahi ya mama mboga tutatilia maanani.” Trust me, maanani hayakutiliwa. In fact, maanani was everything but tiliwa.
All we have is lines, pages, books, and libraries of empty promises.
I was thinking of trying to penetrate the minds of those among us that we elected to better our lives. Trying to understand the thought process of our elected leaders. We trusted them by placing our resources in their hands. Therefore them, maybe, we can rightfully blame. Our elected leaders. However no. Bargain not with the devil, as the devil does not bargain. Have you never learnt? The best ending for playing the blame game is a draw.
If we were truly interested in playing a blame game, we would start at the roots. Our colonizers. The illusion of independence. One of the biggest lies of the 20th and 21st century. But that, is a story for a different day. I just wish humanity was a program installed to us all at birth. I doubt humanity would allow one to siphon money meant for food, knowing they had more than enough, and another citizen had nothing to their name.
Do you know what’s not a dream?
Imagine we are in a classroom.
“Class, tell me, nini sio ndoto. At the back, anyone?” said the lecturer.
“Come on guys, vitu vingine si ya kuambiwa,” he pressed, getting impatient that the crowd of students was slow, when the solution was right there.
My dear, kipenzi Mkenya, your solution at this moment could well be your voter’s card. We tried force last year and the former 365 too, but the machinery was stronger. Youth, mothers, fathers, beseeched please feel. Please feel beseeched. Your pain, our pain is shared. By me if not most. As we count down the days to that decisive moment next year, be well equipped to let your soul, your heart, your voice and mind be heard. Stay cards. Stay Kadi!
And finally, one of my favorite quotes: those who do not learn from history, are doomed to, repeat it…those who do not learn from history are doomed to, repeat it…those who do not learn from history are doomed to…get it? LOL.
Probe yourself, niko kadi?
Same time tomorrow.