‘Accept and move on’: The narrative that seeks to kill questioning minds

by Jossi Tinga

When activists from the fancifully named “Occupy Parliament” lobby group swarmed down on the house in Nairobi, they brought a drift of pigs. The sow and piglets, oblivious of their political role, happily played the part. Their new owners fed them with blood right in the middle of high street. The poor animals bore names of key members of parliament on their backs as they lapped on cow blood.  The high drama was bizarre or even out rightly offensive. 

   

The bulk of the protestors came from the hard core of civil society. That is, the ramp that remained after its leaders were co-opted into the system or vanquished. It is a noisy but increasingly diminishing lot. The days of massive street protest seem well behind us. That is not to say we have no grouses with the system. A new narrative has taken over.

After 20 years of protest and clamour, fatigue is setting in. For some of the reform diehards a sense of realism is creeping in. It is a realism that is infused with cynicism. No matter how hard we try Kenya has a way of relapsing into its old ways. Despite the constitution’s proclamation to the contrary, it is now illegal to picket.

As the protestors against a pay hike for MPs found out, the right to picket is now a privilege given by the police. For hours the cops stood by as the noisy group drew parallels between pigs and our so-called ‘MPigs’. I protest at the comparison. Pigs are infinitely superior to our MPs. They make do with what is available as opposed to the parliamentarians who only want the fat of the land. Plus, MPs have no after-life value.

Censorship blurs the true state of affairs

There was no sign that things were getting out of hand when police moved to disperse the jolly crowd. That in itself is not the issue. It is the force deployed against them that amazed. Not since Rev. Timothy Njoya was whacked and smashed outside the gates of parliament has a peaceful protest been so forcefully dispersed.   A protestor was pictured lying helpless on the ground as a policeman beat him senseless.

Things have been that way since the elections. The police will not allow demonstrations against anything. In Bungoma, when the public rallied against the recent wave of insecurity, the cops quickly stemmed the protest. The police were nowhere when a marauding gang rained havoc. The gang went house to house maiming villagers in the region.

In a paranoid twist, even the World Water Day celebrations in Kenya were postponed. The event, usually held on 22 March was held more than a month later. The usually low-key ceremonies were deemed a security risk. The internal security gurus could not risk gatherings of a few hundred anywhere in the country. It was claimed they could be hijacked by riotous mobs. Perhaps this is an indication the government expected countrywide protests against the election results. 

The jitters have clearly not gone. Any form of protest is portrayed as a danger to state security. The attentions of the country were steered towards the national schools and colleges Drama Festival. A play by Butere Girls High School was banned. ‘Shackles of Doom' was deemed a threat to ‘national cohesion.” The play discusses issues of ethnic domination. Later, a court overturned the ban.

There is a pattern to the madness. It does not end with so-called threats to public order. The present regime was preceded by a sustained campaign for peaceful elections. The highlight was the slogan “Accept and move on”. Harmless as it may seem, this slogan effectively seeks to kill the spirit of inquiry and protest that is as Kenyan as nyama choma. It bars us from asking questions. Protest is a consequence of a questioning mind.

The ‘Accept and move on’ mantra would have us take things as they are. We are not to question. We are not to publicly display our dissatisfaction. Our media are accomplices in the conspiracy. They starkly refused to ask questions on the conduct of the general election. Without further enquiry they buy the official line on insecurity in Garissa, Mandera, Coast or Western Kenya. The spiralling insecurity is symptomatic of an inherent weakness in our police force. It is also indicative of other weaknesses in our society. 

In the absence of a critical media, Kenyans have trouped to social media. The top stories are discussed and dissected on facebook  and Twitter. After an onslaught of disparaging remarks on social media the Chief Justice was forced to respond. Sections of the chattering classes were ridiculing the Supreme Court for its decision on the petitions against the presidential elections. He posted on facebook and Twitter. In so doing he acknowledged the increasing irrelevance of conventional media in public discourse.

True to form threats on freedom of expression are also directed at social media. They have even been threats to clampdown on comments in social media. These threats are rationalised as action against hate speech. Yet all the prominent personalities accused of hate speech are routinely let off. It does not matter they make these utterances in public rallies.

It is not very long ago since this sort of rabid intolerance ruled this country. Ten years might seem a long way back to some. Just two presidents ago all these things were happening. It was illegal to cast aspersion on the ruling clique. It was treasonable to express displeasure on governance. It was unpatriotic to expose political corruption. These things happened except there was no Twitter to drive the discourse. 

We are slowly regressing. It is no accident. It is part of a grand plot to silence dissent. Will you be the willing accomplice? Tweet your peeves!