Democratic dreams and nightmares in Africa

As Kenyans go to the polls to vote on a new constitution, Dibussi Tande reviews reactions across the African blogosphere. Tande also looks at lessons for Kenya from Ghana, and humorous calls for a new Malawian flag.

This week, Kenyans went to the polls to vote for a new constitution which is supposed to usher in a new era of democracy, rule of law, human rights and equality in the country. With the results in favour of the ‘Yes’ camp, the delight – and pride – in the Kenyan blogosphere has been overwhelming.

Rafiki Kenya

Rafiki Kenya sees the victory of the Yes camp as a new dawn for Kenya:

‘Thank you, fellow Kenyans! And welcome to Kenya 2.0! This new constitution - which is probably one of the best in Africa, if not the best - is redefining Kenya and is indeed a very historic moment signalling a new dawn for East Africa's most vibrant economy. The wind of change has blown through our country, and we should all be ready to contribute to the building of a great nation, creating an example for Africa, and becoming an important and respected player in the world. This time for Africa, our time for change has come. We have been hungry for change for decades and now we are ready to believe again. I have traveled across Kenya and have made many trips abroad, and I have seen what Kenya is and I strongly believe in what this country can be. That is the Kenya I see and the Kenya I hope all of us can see. It is up to all of us to realize this vision of development and prosperity for this great nation, with respect for peace, for our environment, for justice and for human rights. Today is probably the most crucial turning point in Kenyan history since independence in 1963, so let's all be proud that we have the privilege of being part of it...

‘Kenya 2.0 is our new Kenya. Kenya 2.0 is a Kenya that embraces new technologies for a fairer society and for better lives; it is a nation where all Kenyans are enabled to contribute to development on an equal basis. Kenya 2.0 is a Kenya that is free from dictators, corruption, fraud, tribalism and violence. It is a Kenya where innovations can thrive, where ideas are nourished. It is a Kenya which is attractive to investors from within Africa and from overseas.’

Blogithinji

While excited about what awaits a new Kenya, Blogithinji nonetheless points out some of the challenges that lie ahead:

‘The majority of Kenyans have chosen to go green. The mood is great. Most people are lit with hope as this move by Kenyans affirms the theme of change in this country... The excitement will be immense, but Kenyans must remember and never forget 2008. Peace and Unity were preached before the polls and must remain after. We must accept these results even as they get confirmed. PEACE is key for change.

‘Let us also realise that this is also just the beginning of a long journey to the Kenya we have dreamt for. There are tonnes of legislation to take place and so much reform to be undertaken. There are so many promises made to the No camp, especially the church of abortion, to be carried out. I think the next couple of years may be harder than Kenyans may think, but a brighter and more prosperous Kenya will ease the pain.

‘This has been a long painful struggle for many veterans and I, as a young Kenyan bound to enjoy the fruit of their labor, am grateful to them; for all the cold nights in detention, the painful days in Nyayo House torture chambers and the lonely years they spent away from their families in exile. THANK YOU ALL.

‘The IIEC has also carried out the most independent electoral process in Kenya since independence, and for that HONGERA.’

The Abantu View

Abantu is grateful to all those Kenyans who fought for decades for a new Kenya which the majority of Kenyans’ identify with:

‘The winners weren't really the YES and NO proponents led by powerful forces that included sitting President Mwai Kibaki and his erstwhile Prime Minister Raila Odinga and the entire Kenyan Government machinery in the YES corner and former President Daniel Arap Moi, equally powerful and vocal Minister William Ruto and the Church backing in the NO Corner! The real winners were the Kenyans who lost their lives over four decades and whose blood has redeemed our New Nation! The winners were the living Kenyans who peacefully trooped to the various polling stations in all the 210 constituencies straddles across Kenya and exercised their God given democratic right at the ballot box. The winners were the peace loving Kenyans who knelt and prayed for their Nation and held their shoulder high and refused to be coerced into violence!

‘I woke up this morning feeling more proud of my country Kenya and that feeling will never ever go away! We truly showed the World, as it waited for an apparent repeat of bloodshed, that truly Kenya is ready to step into that place in history and deliver a constitution that even America and Britain and first world state will be truly envious of! I was equally impressed by the new Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC), led by an under 40 year old Chairman who basically out did, out classed and outshone the management of the entire process! That’s what you get from trusting young people with sensitive national duty that needs resolute handling! 2012 here we come! Excellent stuff!

‘We have shown that Africans can do it on their own peacefully, and I can safely bet that this New Kenya is headed for some serious serious change! Viva Kenya, Viva Africa, Viva Democracy!’

Ghana Pundit

As Kenyans enthuse over what they see as the birth of a new democratic polity, Ghana Pundit warns that any democratic system that is mired in poverty and underdevelopment is merely a mirage:

‘The status of Ghana as an emerging democracy has been acknowledged worldwide. This democracy has come with peace and stability that has made Ghana the darling of her neighbours and the international community. The recent outstanding performance of the Black Stars in the 2010 Fifa world cup in South Africa has added to the worldwide view that Ghana is on the path of greatness. However, the stability and peace that the democracy has brought the nation has not translated into economic and social development.

‘The essence of democracy is to elect leaders who will manage the country to provide security, energy, housing, education, health and telecommunication infrastructures that the citizens can take advantage of to improve their living conditions. Many who have engaged in the democratic process have done so with the hope that democracy will usher in not only liberty, freedom of speech and assembly but also economic prosperity. But the people who have been running Ghana since the day the Fourth Republican Constitution came into operation seem to have forgotten this simple meaning of democracy...

‘Slowly we are missing the opportunity to develop and to add quality and value to the lives of our people. Since 1992 the various governments that have governed Ghana have not been able to take advantage of the peace and stability provided by our democracy to formulate and implement the necessary policies to transform Ghana’s economy to enable Ghanaians to benefit directly…

‘This is very dangerous for the continuous existence of democracy itself. People cannot continue to cast their votes every four years and continue to live in the same pre-colonial conditions without jobs, proper housing, electricity, roads, farming equipments and access to water and sanitation. People cannot vote every four years while they continue to live on two dollars a day. That is not democracy. Democracy must come with liberty, economic empowerment, social development and improvement in the overall quality of life of the people. This has not happened in Ghana more than sixteen years of democratic governance and over fifty years of independence.’

Daniso’s Warped Thinking

In many parts of Africa, there is widespread disillusionment with the multiparty systems that that have still left the vast majority of citizens on the margins of national life. In a satirical open letter to the president of Malawi, Daniso wades into the controversy over complaints that the government violated basic democratic principles by unilaterally imposing a new flag on the country:

‘Mr. President... what these imbeciles don't understand is that a national flag is like a mileage marker on a road. It records a country's progress in history, the same way that a mileage marker records how far along you've progressed on the road to your destination. So, needless to say, after 46 years of plastering a few roads with thin layers of tarmac (and patching and repatching them, time without number), we've to celebrate with a new flag. A few years down the line we'll toast the delivery of the port City of Nsanje with another flag; one with a different colour of the sun perhaps. We can again randomly shuffle the background colours.

‘Once the five new universities are all up and running, it'll be time to bring out the bubbly again as we unveil another flag to reflect the big stride we'll have made on the education front. And when your brother takes over from you as president, we'll mark the historic moment with yet another flag. In fact, this would be the opportune time to add blue to the flag. After all, it's the nation's favourite colour. Yes, you misguided cynics; blue is the colour of our most favourite natural resource, the lake. The fact that blue also happens to be the ruling party's colour will be a very welcome but coincidental bonus.

‘Understandably, we'll reserve the biggest celebration of new flags for the year after Malawi makes it out of the group of the world's 10 poorest countries. Since this will be the mother of all achievements, we'll celebrate with a new flag per month. In place of a glaring sun, we'll have a full moon followed by others depicting various stars such the Southern Cross. Yes, stars for a star nation!’

Mzati Kolokosa

Still on Malawi, Mzati Kolokosa, breaks from the mould to adopt a long-term optimistic view about Malawi’s future:

‘We must not allow our travels to frustrate us into believing that we are a backward country; rather, we should strive to move on and be like or surpass the capitals we admire.
‘True, we have not overcome the grinding poverty but we have moved a step away from grinding poverty. As our common wisdom says, every journey, even the longest one, starts with the first step; and walking is putting one foot ahead of the other.

‘As a country, we have started a long journey towards prosperity. We have been in poverty, extreme poverty to say the truth, for decades…

‘I am writing from Kampala, Uganda, where Malawi is being praised for its effort to reduce deaths of mothers and children. It is, in fact, number three in Africa on health spending.

‘But mothers and children are still dying. Should we dismiss this good news and be frustrated and surrender to fate that we shall be poor forever?

‘No. We need to build hope from our moderate achievements.’

BROUGHT TO YOU BY PAMBAZUKA NEWS

* Dibussi Tande blogs at Scribbles from the Den.
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