DETAINED
DESTINY by Adienge Jack
In the words of
Marx and Engels, “it is not a question of what this or that proletariat, or
even the whole proletariat at the moment regards as its aim. It is a question
of what the proletariat is, and what, in accordance with this being, it will
historically be compelled to do. Its aim and historical action is visibly and
irrevocably foreshadowed in its own life situation as well as the whole
organization of bourgeois society today”, (Marx and Engels 1845, workers iv.
37)
For Marx and
subsequently for the Marxist- Leninists, the class only was a class to the
extent that it displayed its essential characteristics. It had to be united on
at least a national scale, organized and articulate and speaking with just one
voice. Above all, the process of class formation was the process through which
all the divisions that had hitherto impeded the growth of solidarity and
awareness of common purpose were progressively overcome. Back home, the current
ills of mankind, the tragic misfortunes that fill the Kenyan history books, the
political blunders, the failures of our leaders, have arisen merely from lack
of anchors of man’s political hopes and
the ark of his society and most regrettably, due to poverty ideas. Ours is a
crop of leaders who have taken up several obviously wrong people and ran their
heads very hard against wrong ideas and persisted in trying to fit the
circumstances to the ideas instead of trying to extract ideas from the
circumstances. That is why in this home of ours, the concepts of freedom and
equality are not properly understood, and so democracy, reason, merit and
adaptability aren’t achievable, at least for now, and this is the heart of
darkness.
It is against this backdrop that I believe that our nation does not need
“either or” solutions but rather “as well as” solutions. This is why I still
insist that there are only two fundamental ways through which it is possible to
consider the role of democracy in Kenya. First, through the participation “from
below” of large sections of the population in non-cooperation events; this will
explore the political and social identity of these collective argents- crowds,
classes parties, occupational groups- analyze their beliefs, interests and
expectations and attempts to define the part which they will pay in building a
better Kenya.
Secondly through focusing on the procedures and instruments upon
which a modern democracy can be achieved; by looking at the way in which the
current political system is defined in constitutional terms, considering its legislation,
institutions and their functioning…Without the above two, our destiny remains
detained.
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