So what's wrong with ambition?
Phew! Let�s keep our fingers crossed in the hope that the Kisauni hurricane (dictionary definition: very strong, often destructive, wind or storm) will let us enjoy the illusion of peace.
Still, I have just one lingering question: what the hell is it with ambition and men? Correct me if I am wrong, but I can�t help feeling that the entire concept of ambition was on trial as much as the key players in the prime ministerial fiasco.
Not being politically inclined by nature, I had a bit of a struggle trying to understand the power-play.
To hear the hullabaloo, though, one would have been forgiven for thinking that Kenyan leaders of all walks of life � the ones that enjoy the favour of the media, at least � had a problem with anyone, except themselves of course, wanting to be the best they could be. Talk of a "man-eat-man" society. And here I was, naively thinking that having an ambition in life is the natural state of human beings!
I am reminded vividly of what Nairobi politician Njoroge Mungai had to say in an interview for the Daily Nation pull-out "[EMAIL PROTECTED]":
"Anybody who has no ambition is like a worm. People go into politics because they have their own visions and ambitions. You don�t go into politics just to be a good choirboy � every politician has presidential ambitions."
Mungai should know, having been within touching and smelling distance of power for much of post-independent Kenya � his days as a bus driver having been long lost in the past.
Although this statement was made in the context of the debate around the 1976 Change the Constitution movement said to have been put in motion to stop Daniel arap Moi succeeding Jomo Kenyatta, it is one of those evergreen quotes that can apply anywhere, any time.
Only in Africa can dreaming of getting to the top of the heap be a crime. Here�s what Charles Njonjo famously had to say when he squashed the Change the Constitution debate:
"I would like to bring to the attention of those who are being used to advocate the amendment that it is a criminal offence for any person to compass, imagine, devise or intend the deposition of the President � the mandatory sentence for any such offence by a citizen is death."
Quite. This probably explains why Africa is at its current stage of development. Even your imagination is subject to censorship, for pity�s sake.
But one can understand why first and second generation African leaders would want such a legal gem in place. They ruled by fiat rather than persuasion, determined to hang on to power for life or, at the very least, the maximum two terms and then impose a puppet to ensure they could drive from the back seat. No wonder someone once described power as the strongest aphrodisiac yet!
The consequence: they then had to constantly look over their shoulders lest some uppity sergeant not only blasted them out of their well-cushioned jobs but also out of existence. Please tell me that this law has been or is about to be wiped off our statutes.
Karisa Maitha has, of course, given an entirely new definition to the phrase "naked ambition" in the pursuit of his dream of being the undisputed "king" of the Mijikenda. I rather fancied his traditional regalia, complete with bare chest.
Striking left, right and centre, he only ever pauses to remind his people that he is the best thing that ever happened to them since Ronald Ngala. Though I can�t say I know much about Ngala, considered one of Kenya�s political legends, I do know that Maitha will have to work much, much harder to earn the respect due to a nationalist. He really shouldn�t take too literally the statement that the world has shrunk to a global village.
Let�s not dwell too much on the murky waters of politics, though. After all, most adults in Kenya today grew up on a diet of admonitions to "leave politics to the politicians".
I wish it were possible to ask of the politicians that they leave us and our tribes out of the little fires that they are so fond of starting all over the place, but that would be suicidal for us as a nation. These people, we have learnt the hard way, can sell you body and soul if it will help them achieve their ambitions.
Ambition may be the stuff of life, but women in particular have been conditioned to be satisfied with whatever life throws at them. There�s even the saying "anachopata kinamtosha" (she�s satisfied with what she�s got) pronounced in tones that would suggest that it is a virtue to have limited ambitions.
This has had disastrous consequences in the workplace, or anywhere else for that matter: women can be expected to give up their own dreams for the simple reason that they don�t want to rock the boat.
Okay guys, she�ll say coyly, I�ll step down if it is the only way to have peace and quiet around here.
No one values peace and quiet more than Kenyans. But when it comes to sharing the goodies, all that this middle-of-the-road attitude means is that a world-renowned environmentalist only ever gets to be an assistant minister in a field that is her specialisation and life�s work. We can blame culture and tradition for this approach to life and leadership.
Most girls are taught early that their purpose for living is to marry well; that they can acquire social status only by being the missus even when they are perfectly capable of being achievers in their own right.
The theory was that they would find someone to take care of them; the reality is that many men need taking care of these days. So why waste your time plotting and planning to catch a bank manager when you have it in you to control the purse-strings? Let�s hear it for ambition, girls!
I want to leave you with an interesting quote I picked up from Kenya Broadcasting Corporation�s programme on that most macho of all sports, wrestling:
"Only those who dare to rise lift themselves beyond their horizons." Or something like that. The message flashed rather too quickly across the screen. But the point had been made. Isn�t it odd where you pick up some of life�s best advice?
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Ms Oriang' is the Deputy Managing Editor, Daily Nation
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