President's conditional apology an insult to victims of State violence

Renowned scholar Ngugi wa Thiongo, who once said Kenya's elite is the death of hopes, dreams and beauty, gave up the ghost on Wednesday last week, the day Kenya's elite were taking us through the facade of national prayers and tendering conditional apologies: "If we wronged you, forgive us". 

If I may, how national is the National Prayer Breakfast when it is clearly an exclusive, elitist teaser? What is the rationale behind holding prayers in high-end hotels instead of national stadiums where thousands would participate and feel comfortable? 

These sham prayers only assuage the guilt-laden consciences of our leadership, but leave ordinary Kenyans with longing for a people-centric leadership. More depressing, the leaders forget their affected remorse immediately the cameras roll off. 

In the African belief system, leaders and elders don't apologise to the youth, even when they are wrong. And often, they admonish the youth by demanding respect for leaders and elders whenever they are challenged. When, therefore, President William Ruto asked for forgiveness "if he had wronged the youth", it was tantamount to mocking those who still bear the scars of the 2024 Gen Z demonstrations. 

We use the conjunction 'if' in conditional sentences. More often, it refers to what is unlikely or hypothetical. Our political reality is neither. The police killed people during the Gen Z protests. Others disappeared and are yet to be found. 

These are wrongs the government should apologise for. The 1995 South Africa Truth and Reconciliation initiative brought closure because perpetrators of the heinous crimes against the blacks acknowledged them and sought forgiveness. We cannot get closure in Kenya if no one accepts liability, yet lives were lost. 

Ruto’s apology neither acknowledged the wrongs committed nor sought genuine forgiveness. One wonders, did Martians commit the crimes? Prefacing the apology with 'if' actually legitimises the State's high-handedness. Being the President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, the buck stops with Ruto.

He may not have clobbered or shot anybody, but there is a public perception he flashed the green light. He probably didn't even give such an order. Excitable minnows might have done it. Ultimately, however, Ruto is the man left holding the bag. 

It doesn't help matters that he has not volunteered any explanation, or taken any action to fix responsibility of the crimes against humanity that have sullied his reputation and that of his government, on anyone. 

In an inadvertent admission of his government's possible involvement in the abductions of government critics, Ruto assured Kenyans that all abducted youth had been reunited with their families, remarks made in the presence of Finland President Alexander Stubb who was in the country at the time. 

For having taken Kenyans for a ride, Ruto has wronged them. He made them believe cooking gas would cost Sh300; SHA premiums would be Sh300 monthly. He promised the youth jobs, that mama mboga would be economically empowered. He promised affordable education, free internet and calls, no extra-judicial killings, cheaper fuel and that women would form 50 per cent of his Cabinet. But what did Kenyans get?

Those are wrongs for which an apology is in order. Opinion polls reveal that most Kenyans believe we are under a kakistocracy; leadership by the least qualified people. Missteps in high political spaces have cost Kenya a lot. If it wasn't for them, Prof Ngugi would not have died as a lonely man in a foreign country. 

He, Micere Mugo and many other Kenyans were forced out of the country because of political myopia. They were accepted in Europe and America where their individual contributions in academia have enriched those countries. 

Their tribulations at home made our universities catch a cold. From citadels of knowledge,  Kenyan universities have become epicentres of corruption, mismanagement and arenas for ethnic politics. They wallow in debt, with no money for research. Little wonder then that in the QS World University rankings, University of Nairobi was placed in the 900-950 band. The next ranking could be worse.