By Musa Maridhawa
As Kenya grapples with challenges such as climate crises and dealing with economic inequality through enforcing the principles of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Model (BETA) there are misguided elements that seem to take patriotism and civic responsibility for granted.
Yet, patriotism and civic responsibility are not optional virtues but survival imperatives. Without them, Kenya risks to miss the benefits that accrue to nations that forge a future founded on unity and accountability.
Patriotism, sometimes misconstrued as blind loyalty to the state, is better defined as active love for one’s country. Meanwhile, civic responsibility is its practical twin. It is expressed through paying taxes, voting wisely, protecting public resources, and holding leaders to account.
Patriotism fused with civic responsibility values creates a social contract between citizens and the state, ensuring that governance serves the majority of the citizens, not a handful.
Kenya’s history offers good lessons that make a solid case for the pursuit of patriotism and civic responsibility. For instance, the 2010 Constitution, a product of national dialogue and civic participation, proved that Kenyans can agree to build a nation on shared principles expressed freely through a referendum. Today, however, that belief seems to be fraying.
When patriotism wanes and civic duty erodes, the consequences are dire. Let us consider the possible perils of such a sorry situation with solid examples drawn from the Kenyan experience.
One, in 2022, a National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) report warned that 64% of youth viewed elections through a tribal lens, prioritising “our leader” over competent governance. This fractures national unity, breeding distrust and stagnation.
Two, word out there is that Kenya loses approximately Ksh. 600 billion annually to graft, according to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
Besides, a 2023 survey by Transparency International revealed that 38% of Kenyans under 35 viewed corruption as “unavoidable,” normalising the theft of their own future.
Yet, citizens often enable this rot from bribing traffic police to accepting kickbacks for all manner of deals. The same people involved in bribing are the first to point an accusing finger to others. Curbing corruption starts with the individual who stands firm against it – period!
Three, patriotism also means safeguarding Kenya’s natural heritage. Yet, rampant deforestation, pollution of rivers, and illegal sand harvesting in parts of Kenya persist. The truth is many Kenyans have open disregard for communal resources.
Four, our voter turnout during past general elections has been pathetic. For instance, voter turnout among youth—who comprise 70% of Kenya’s population—plummeted to 39% in 2022 according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission ions (IEBC). Weak political engagement weakens leaders’ mandates while emboldening unaccountable governance.
Kenya’s youth, brimming as they are with innovation and energy, hold the key to renewal or ruin. Tragically, many have succumbed to cynicism. Social media, a tool for mobilisation, often amplifies hate speech and misinformation.
In the din of sweeping cynicism are examples of hope nonetheless. Initiatives like Mama Doing Good, an environmental conservation initiative, and Shujaaz Inc., a youth mentorship movement, prove that patriotism can thrive in Kenya if channelled constructively. Meanwhile, techpreneurs like Brian Mwenda, whose apps seek to combat fake news, exemplify civic responsibility in the digital age.
For Kenya to avert collapse, patriotism and civic duty must be reimagined and reignited. This is possible in many ways among the five I will underline hereunder.
One, we need to integrate civic education into the school system while emphasising the place of rights but responsibilities in nation building. We must inculcate a culture that upholds patriotism as a means of building, not burning.
Two, we need to strengthen institutions like the EACC and the Judiciary while finding visible ways of rewarding ethical leadership.
Three, we ought to enforce compliance of environmental stewardship by ensuring that such initiatives as the 15 billion trees initiative by 2032 are owned at the grassroots level. Patriotism means preserving Kenya’s natural resources for future generations.
Four, county governments must engage citizens in budgeting and project oversight, as witnessed in Makueni’s participatory model. Civic responsibility means demanding transparency, not waiting for salvation or joining the current begging bowl chorus.
Five, our media, artists, and influencers must reconsider their default stand and opt to champion narratives of unity, not division. We should reclaim national pride through shared symbols with international recognition such as from Kipchoge, Beatrice Chebet and Wangari Maathai.
Kenya is worth fighting for. As the Sukuma proverb reminds us, “A single stick may smoke, but it will not burn.”
Maridhawa is Kilifi-based ethnographer