Let’s not destroy our country

If we are not careful, Kenya will become a banana republic. Countries like DR Congo, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda at one time followed the script that Kenya is trying to adopt.

We are a country that believes in the rule of law. We have a dynamic constitution, one of the best in the world.

But what we are doing is swimming in the madness, as the Daily Nation headline of March 28 put it. Private property should be protected. Kenya has a just government of men and women elected in a democratic system.

Constitutional right

The right to own property is every citizen’s constitutional right. Disagreeing on the political front does not mean we invade individuals’ premises in a manner that is tantamount to committing a crime.

Kenya is well past stealing and damaging people’s property to settle political scores. 

The deaths, injuries and economic loss witnessed on two Mondays now should be enough to make our political leaders — on both sides of the political divide — to sober up and reflect on the reason they were given the mandate by Kenyans to lead. 

The history of Africa is replete with cases of leaders who failed to listen and went ahead to make their countries failed nations and banana republics. 

We had Sudan, where Omar Bashir came down because of the price of bread. 

There is still room for Kenyans led by their leaders to follow the narrow and straight road and go back to why we are an independent and God-fearing nation.

This will prevent us from becoming a pariah state.

Mr Kigo is an environmental officer and writer