ELDERS

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga were Tuesday united in their push for national healing by urging Kenyans to shun against tribalism.

Addressing the inaugural elders’ conference at Nairobi’s Bomas of Kenya, the two leaders of the coalition government said the Kenya Vision 2030 will only be realised if the 43 different tribes came together.

“It’s unfortunate that this diversity has been manipulated to the detriment of national harmony,” said the President.

His remark echoed that of elders on the first day of debate who insisted that it is the politicians who had let the country down.

The President warned the elders against political schemes to build support based on tribal alliances saying they were the source of disharmony in the country.

“Don’t worry about your tribe. In the first place, you’ve no idea of why you were born in that tribe yet you go gloating about the tribe’s superiority,” President Kibaki said.

“We are alive and want to see how you build your house and educate your children.”

The President asked the elders to continue preaching peace at the grassroots to ensure ethnic violence does not recur.

“When it comes to political competition that’s okay, but ask yourself, if you’re competing all the time, what time will you build the nation.”

The coalition leadership led Cabinet ministers George Saitoti (Internal Security) and Mutula Kilonzo (Justice) in calling for the inclusion of elders in the reconciliation agenda.

President Kibaki banked on the proposed Constitution as one with “elaborate provisions” in the quest for nationhood among Kenyans.

He cited clauses on citizenship, national values, culture and Bill of Rights as some of the crucial ones to rekindle patriotism.

He asked the elders to rally their villages to register as voters and approve the proposed law in the upcoming referendum.

“People your age know how this country has been and where it’s headed; let’s unite and ensure we achieve our goals,” he added.

The Head of State said a united Kenya will be well-placed to take advantage of the East Africa Community --the regional trading bloc-- once integration is complete.

“We have people who are keen to invest and develop this country, let’s show them that we can work together,” he said.

On his part, Mr Odinga appealed to the elders to preach peace at the grassroots to ensure there’s no repeat of inter-ethnic violence as soon as the referendum is concluded.

He said that elders were important to conflict resolution and thus have to be included in the reform agenda in the country.

“You have to live peacefully with your neighbour. If you keep on running for help faraway, people will call you a witch... only a witch does that,” said the Prime Minister.

The leaders said that the provision of equal opportunities will cease if the suspicion on basis of tribe or race is annihilated.

“Don’t even think you can succeed on your own, you have to work with others,” the President said.

Prof Saitoti said the provincial administration will ensure that chiefs work together with elders in fostering national unity.

The elders were meeting on the second day to diagnose the problems affecting the country.

The conference is part of the mandate of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, the body set up to steer the healing agenda by monitoring debate on crucial issues as part of the post-poll chaos reform agenda.