The Greek philosopher Plato said “human behaviour flows from three main sources: Desire, emotion and knowledge.” Indeed, these three sources inform all of our actions as individuals, in our romantic lives, in our relationships with friends and in our careers.
Motives for human behaviour are not so hard to figure out considering that they can be traced back to these three.
One is unlikely to do something that one does not desire unless force is used. A person cannot make decisions based on knowledge that he does not possess. It is usually good to listen to your emotions to shape your actions.
But sometimes this delicate balance is disrupted by desires for what does not belong to us, by emotions that cloud our judgement or by a lack of knowledge of the whole picture. Unfortunately, this is what is happening amongst many politicians in Kenya today.
Somehow, our leaders have opposed one another over the Building Bridges Initiative. The BBI is the best chance we have at a brighter future.
The Kenyan society is rife with corruption. It is ruptured by disunity, it is plagued by infighting. The society is ruled by a system that does not work for the people. The common man is suffering while the elite battle for power.
The need for a fairer system is urgent. The need for the government to listen to us is urgent. The need for a government representative of the people is urgent. Dealing with these challenges is the choice that President Uhuru Kenyatta has offered us to make in commissioning the BBI taskforce to interview wananchi.
We have a great opportunity before us. An opportunity to end ethnic antagonism. An opportunity to really see ourselves as Kenyans, not only as divided tribes. An opportunity to be the determinants of our own future.
But one problem above all blocks this path. Politicians who misconstrue the BBI based on their own desires, their own emotions and falsehood.
An elected leader who criticises the BBI is probably thinking of his own desires above those of the nation. He could desire to hold power for himself and his inner circle, rather than letting voters guide the political landscape, fair and square.
He might feel that the BBI is going to threaten his own grip on the government. His emotions could cloud his judgement, could stop him from being able to accept that the BBI is by far the best option for the whole Kenyan community.
The realisation that Kenya is transforming into a people led state, rather than a game for the elites, must be a difficult emotional journey indeed.
Or perhaps his knowledge of the BBI just falls short. It is possible that a politician may be hesitant to take part in this path towards unity simply because he does not really know what it is all about.
Many people are still hazy about the details and the purpose of the initiative in general. That could be due to a combination of media miscommunication and misconstrued messages by politicians acting on personal agendas.
But the reality is that Kenyans have an opportunity to push for the real changes that we desire, the changes that we feel in our hearts, and those that we know will be best for future generations.
How else could one explain the unprecedented backing of the BBI by leaders across the board?
Leaders across geographic, tribal and party lines have come together to endorse it. Never before in our history has something motivated so many of our leaders to be willing to get together with a common goal.
Kenya is ripe for progress and all of the circumstances are good. Let us just hope that no individual with ulterior motives gets in the way of the betterment of the people.
