Recent events in Kenya have highlighted the importance of national dialogue and healing, especially following hotly contested elections that resulted in the Kenya Kwanza Alliance leader, Dr William Ruto, being declared the winner by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
President Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, the opposition Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party’s leader, have demonstrated that they are putting the nation first and taking the dialogue route to resolve their differences. But a larger and wider dialogue involving their political bandwagon is necessary to address the underlying issues the country struggles with.
To achieve long-term stability and development, Kenya needs a mechanism to promote national dialogue, reconciliation, and healing. Citizens and leaders need to work together towards a common goal of national development.
One example to follow is Rwanda’s Umushyikirano, an annual event that allows Rwandans to directly ask their leaders questions and debate issues relating to the state of the nation, local government and national unity. It has been instrumental in fast-tracking government programs and citizen priorities based on the resolutions tabled each year, leading to the implementation of development projects and policies that address the needs of Rwandans.
The 2010 Constitution introduced a system of governance that was more people-driven but there are still challenges in defining the threshold of participation, as well as lack of awareness among citizens. There needs to be concerted efforts to educate citizens on the importance of public participation.
Kenya has experienced political tension, ethnic tensions, and violence in recent years, which have negatively affected its economic growth, social cohesion and stability. It also suffers from a lack of trust between its citizens and leaders and accountability and transparency in governance. The country, therefore, needs a robust mechanism to promote national dialogue, reconciliation and healing, which are critical for long-term stability and development.
A Kenyan Umushyikirano, for facilitating public dialogue on issues of national importance, would provide a platform for citizens to engage with their leaders. It would also serve as a mechanism for healing and reconciliation, particularly in areas that have experienced conflict or political unrest.
Another lesson that Kenya can learn from Umushyikirano is the importance of inclusivity and participation. The dialogue should not be a bi-partisan affair and heavily laden with politics but a diverse and objective national forum with key issues, definitive solutions, and ownership of outcomes distributed to relevant institutions for implementation, which are reviewed in subsequent forums.
Rwanda’s model of homegrown solutions, which are culturally owned practices translated into sustainable development programmes, is ideal for Kenya to achieve long-term stability and development and become a model for other African countries.
