Likoni calamity exposed how low Kenya has sunk
Last week was a watershed period in the evolution of the Kenyan society. It was as if the gods had visited the country, with a message that can only be deciphered by those discerning enough to see, and interpret, the signs of the times.
Two unprecedented events glued Kenyans to their television sets. First, it was the heart-rending deaths, and the nail biting recovery of the bodies of mother and daughter from the Indian Ocean. Second was the amazing triumph of a soul in a faraway land. But today I will deal with the tragedy, and how it has exposed our vulnerability.
After an unlucky 13 days, the Kenya Navy and private divers last Friday finally retrieved the bodies of Mariam Kighenda, and four-year-old Amanda Mutheu. The duo drowned after their car plunged into the Likoni channel from the rickety ferryboat.
This tragedy is symbolic of what is wrong in Kenya, below the veneer of humanity. That a mother and child sank in a rescuable, even preventable accident, reveals our pretentiousness, and the low value we place on human life.
So, we have a ferry service that has no safety standards, or effective emergency response? Never mind that the headquarters of the Kenya Navy is a stone’s throw away.
Sadly, the navy has given the impression it is simply smart in drill and formation, but highly inadequate to save life. It is symptomatic of our modern society, where form has become more important than substance.
It was not the first time our ineptness has been exposed. Remember the Westgate terrorist soap opera in 2013?
To add salt to injury, the fat cats, who we pay a fortune to manage our collective business, were totally inept, waiting shamelessly and remorselessly for their equally fat salaries, perks, and kickbacks!
It is the story of our lives. A colleague recently recounted an ugly altercation with the head of a small Nairobi-based consultancy firm. He is still in shock how his former boss threw a tantrum of gigantic proportions to cover up her grave managerial flaws.
For some queer reason, those who give you a raw deal are the ones who demand your pound of flesh. Dare they catch a glimpse of desperation on your face. They will seek to draw the last drop of blood from you.
Then there is our bloated sense of self-importance, righteousness, and entitlement. No one wants to perform their roles without cajoling, persuading, threatening, or bribery.
In the current tough investment and labour market, we all understand that getting a job is like winning the national lottery. But if you give someone an opportunity for pay, do not stop press with the news.
You are simply hiring skills that you need, not giving life. Jobs are about willing buyer, willing seller, of services. The fact that you are privileged at any moment, does not mean you are special.
You owe your position to a twist of fate, lineage, or sheer luck, if not nepotism, cronyism, tribalism, and corruption. Life is a game of chances, so stop playing God with the lives of others. Humility is the hallmark of sincerity and Godliness.
The foregoing is the reason why our politicians and leaders behave with impunity and utter contempt towards Kenyans. They know our show of piety and resilience is simply a guise for deep seated covetousness.
The smell of coffee has never been so strong. But we cannot smell it in our denial and duplicity. In the words of Thomas Hobbes, in his 1651 poem, Leviathan, life in Kenya has become “nasty, brutish and short.”
—The writer is a communication expert, and public policy analyst. [email protected]
