Africa is Watching: Treat Moi with Respect By MICHAEL OKEMA EastAfrican, December 30, 2002
We congratulate our Kenyan sisters and brothers for exercising their democratic right to bring about peaceful change. We in the rest of the region cannot take our eyes away from what you are going through. Whatever happens to Kenyans is bound to affect Ugandans and Tanzanians. There are bound to be hurdles to clear in the process of transition. One of them is to steadily remove power from the hands of those who were closest to President Moi. It will require tact, patience and courage. Still, it could actually prove to be the least of your worries. Most challenging of all will be a show of magnanimity towards President Moi. In his 24-year rule, the man has ruffled many a feather. Look at the "summit" of the Rainbow Alliance and what you see is a group of politicians who have been humiliated in one way or another by Moi. It will take wisdom that transcends personal interests for these gentlemen to forgive him. Yet forgive him they must. Kenya's stability is more important than the satisfaction of exacting revenge. The new leaders must overlook whatever the old man did prior to these elections. However, he may rightly be held accountable for any wrongdoing during the election if it was intended to thwart the will of the people. He may likewise be held responsible if he meddles in the affairs of the government while in retirement. Where do we find the rationale for forgiving Moi? It is to be found in the concept of "goodness." That which is good works in a way that helps society. Good medicine cures disease. A good person helps other people. Ultimately, the good is that which is considered in society as working towards the fulfilment of God's will. For this reason, size becomes irrelevant. A speck of good is infinitely heavier than a tonne of evil. This lesson is hidden in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah that, unfortunately, invokes for simple-minded people nothing more than rampant promiscuity. A serious student of the Bible would note that even if there were as few as 50 good people in Sodom and Gomorrah, for their sake, God was willing to spare the whole city of thousands. And God kept lowering that number, going right down to 10. Islam also has a similar lesson. It says that, in Heaven, there are angels who record our deeds -- both good and bad. Each time we do wrong, one negative score is marked against us. A second wrong and another negative score and so on. However, for each good deed, the angels enter not one but 10 scores in our favour. So, with two wrong deeds and one right, we end up with 10 positive points and two negative ones. Let us leave the realms of spirituality and look at some very earthly issues. I understand that, in mining, if you can get an ounce of gold out of a tonne of excavated soil, then it is worth the enterprise. Goodness, then, does not go by the majority. In a way, goodness is not "democratic." William Thoreau, the 19th century American philosopher, summed it up by saying one good is already a majority by one. This is how Kenyans should judge Moi. Can they find a speck of good in all his muddles? That good is his justification for forgiveness. Remember, all Africa is watching. We have dictators out there waiting for the flimsiest excuse to hang on to power forever. By treating Moi with respect, Kenyans will encourage more leaders to relinquish power without fear of retribution. Michael Okema is a political scientist based in Dar es Salaam.
