The President should be allowed to speak
One of the most iconic photos of President Uhuru Kenyatta on his second term remains the one taken in September 2020. He was on an evening tour at Mama Ngina Water Front to check on the rehabilitation works.
In the photo, the Head of State is casually dressed in blue jeans, a long sleeved top with bold stripes of bright scarlet-and-black, a baseball cap and a ten shilling face-mask. With hands on the guardrail, he pensively stares at the ocean waters; deep in thoughts.
I found that photo profoundly moving. For that unguarded moment, the camera captured what has defined Uhuru’s presidency in his second term. The photo radiated a quaint sense of peace; a palpably silent strength borne of solitude only known to those who seek time from the crowds.
I found myself thinking of the celebrated feminist writer Virginia Woolf’s essay -A Room of One’s Own. At the heart of her argument, she advocates for a quiet ‘room’, Metaphorically, the room is a reference to a sanctuary; a personal space to reflect, think and engage in solitary thoughts without disruptions.
The last four years of Uhuru’s second term have been marked by prolonged bouts of delightful silence. The President earlier on expressed his desire to deliver on his development by implementation of projects to secure his legacy. This could only be through less talking and more doing.
Except for the occasional speech delivered during public holidays, official functions or the state-of-the nation address, the presidency has been a quiet institution.
The genesis of this phase was in March 2019 when the President suspended his social media accounts. At that time, he was the most followed African leader with 3.6 million followers on Twitter only. His Facebook account followed soon after. The incessant online attacks and toxicity might have been a distraction.
Ironically, his silence only seemed to have encouraged his critics to shout louder. Their relentless criticism and jabs seems to have grown and hit a crescendo after the Handshake with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
As expected, the most virulent criticisms came from erstwhile politicians associated with the United Democratic Alliance (UDA). The criticism verged on the bizarre. Whenever any government agency acted against any of them; be it detectives pouncing on lawbreakers or Kenya Revenue Authority hunting for tax defaulters or even the anti-graft commission probing corruption, the critics rushed out guns blazing blaming the Head of State for their woes.
Remarkably, the President has maintained his silence. It takes humongous effort not to respond or react to provocation when you have the ability and means to. It calls for profound restraint to have people attack relentlessly and maintain one’s cool. Keeping calm amidst such deliberate goading remains the epitome of self-control.
The criticism would ultimately become normalised as the unofficial campaign period kicked in since 2017. A cursory look reveals a pattern. When campaigning outside the Central Kenya region, the critics would generally criticise the government and its policies. For a good measure, they would also subject him to ridicule.
However, when the same team camped in Mt Kenya, the criticism would take a different bent. Only Mt Kenya MPs would directly chastise the President. If anything, even as Deputy President William Ruto threw shades at his boss elsewhere, he would tone down when in Uhuru’s home ground. This is to avoid alienating the mountain voter by having the impression of ‘their’ son being disrespected by a ‘visitor.’ When Mt Kenya MPs do it, then it is acceptable. It is a ‘home affair’ between brothers who have fallen out.
However, if the President’s latest move is anything to go by, it is safe to assume his sabbatical of silence is over. He has indicated he also has something to say.
Early this month, he met with Jubilee MPs signaling the revamping of his party. This meeting was soon followed by a convention of 5,000 youths at the State House. These two moves provoked yells of outrage from many UDA MPs. They argue such meetings should not be in the statehouse. Frantic meetings have already started in earnest in Mt Kenya supposedly to spoil the party before the President’s arrival.
Such theatrics aside, Kenyans have every right to hear the President’s response to four-year’ worth of accusations. He has been silent enough. He never responded; not adequately anyway. It is only fair if he speaks. It is time.
—The writer comments on topical issues
