Monday, January 2, 2012

Words of Wisdom From Wazees To Miguna Miguna and Others


From http://omwenga.com/

I can safely say most of us on these Internets (GB’s word) don’t know each other, other than what comes across on these screens. For some, such as yours truly, what you see coming across your screen is no different from what you can expect, if you ever came to know me in person as those of you who know me in person can attest.
Others can’t say the same for they have taken aliases and are simply actors on the net, some for good, others for evil reasons.
Regardless of who we are, I fairly certain unless one was raised by wolves (and there are some I sometimes wonder if, in fact, they were not so raised), all of us have been from childhood instilled with some sense of respect for others and in my case, respect for others is an integral part of one’s honor and integrity and more so respect for the older folk which, among Kisiis, is probably the highest virtue–at least for people my generation.
Someone, a brilliant young lady then pursuing her Ph.D at a prestigious university here in the US, once posed a question to me back in 2002 when I was supporting my good friend, Simeon Nyachae for president and her question was, why was I supporting “these old people?”
That question really threw me aback; here I was, relatively young and two years into my professional career as a lawyer and here is this equally relatively young lady of my age, with places to go herself, yet she was questioning my support for an older person or to put it more aptly, after deeper conversation, my finding that her belief was the answer to our ills in the country was to have leadership in young people and she, interestingly, looking back now, mentioned Ruto as one person we should have then all rallied behind and push him to run for the presidency.
The lady is Luo and did not want to hear about Raila, having classified him among the “old.”
For those who follow my blogs, I was one of the fiercest critics of Raila at that time so, her not caring for Raila and being the bright young Luo lady she was, was only music to my ears.
But the question remained in my mind to the point I actually had to reassess to determine why I was unfazed by the fact Nyachae was and is the Mzee he is.
It then dawned on me then for the first time it must be for three reasons:
  1. As a Kisii, I was raised in a community where I believe respect for the older folk is sacrosanct more than any other community and this translates to deferring to them in everything.
  2. My old Mzee, before he passed on, to me represented all the leadership qualities one needs to be good leader as he was–local as it may have been the case–bu a leader nonetheless and a leader having even half of those qualities, will transform a nation. I therefore see every leader from that prism, complete with age; I can’t fathom a younger person, especially in Kenya, let alone Africa, having the wisdom and experience, brilliant and gifted as one may be as both a student and practitioner of politics, to even come close to our Wazees.
  3. Yes, these same Wazees have let us down but I believe the solution is not to put top leadership position in our country in the hands of children or young boys and girls politically speaking, who may brilliant and skillful they maybe, they have just not crossed over to the age of leaders in our traditional sense. In other words, we must and shall demand that everyone has their turn and with age comes greater wisdom but not to say those so entrusted with the leadership use and abuse it at will as has been the case in the past; there has to be corresponding need to show the deference is worth it
Someone is probably wondering what does this have to do with the title of this thread and the answer is this:
Regardless of who we are on these fora or whether or not we personally know each other or only know about each other from what we read on these fora, I am fairly certain regardless of how we come across, we do have men and women we respect and pay attention to what they say, be it on these fora or in our personal lives–and yes, this includes the worst of those without manners and fond of insulting others willy nilly–they, too, have people they respect and pay attention to in their lives.
For yours truly, I do what is prominently displayed in one of my office walls; a painting by Norman Rockwell stating the Golden Rule Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You and this is something I have done since childhood. Indeed, I first learned this from my late Mzee who, as in many things he taught me and my siblings, he taught by example and are we glad he did.
Because of this, and I am sure many would relate to this, it has not been that much essential or even necessary to seek counsel or heed to any in most of my life because of that strong foundation in knowing the right or wrong thing to do. In a way, it’s my own Mzee’s wisdom I draw upon such sticky situations and act or do what I am certain he would have done and no one could do it better.
That does not mean I don’t listen or can’t hear what others say; quite the contrary I do and if it meshes with what makes sense, I’ll follow or heed to it, if at variance with my own sense of it for the better of all.
This is a long way of getting close to my point about being stubborn and when it’s important to listen to others, even when you truly believe you don’t need anyone else counsel or advise for you know the right or wrong to do, based on your upbringing and gift of natural wisdom and intelligence made better only with your own experience.
One of a few people I am sure those who are close to him, family or otherwise, pay attention to what he says and a household name for that matter, sent me a text after reading a blog I posted yesterday on Miguna and the text simply said on what I said to and about Miguna, “You couldn’t be more right. A bright young man suffering from magalomania.”
Miguna knows this individual very well from politics and the individual knows Miguna well enough.
Just the other day, another very senior person in Kenya told me he cannot fathom why Miguna would forget that, but for Raila fighting for months to get him a slot from his half loaf he was dealt when others hoping to did not get anything but are not bitter, Miguna would probably still be known only on these fora while trying without success to be elected MP as many others before him have.
Taking the two together; these two men of wisdom are simply saying to Miguna, first learn to be appreciative and second, please heed to counsel from others, or seek wiser counsel on how to proceed in certain situations, limitless you maybe with your own perfect counsel.
Some of you read posts in one particular forum in which I have as my second signature message, “There is never a wrong time to do the right thing; do not be ashamed or afraid to do the right thing, even when you think it’s the wrong time. Just do it.
The final curtain has not closed on this little saga involving Miguna.If he does the right thing or things from here on, the curtain for Act II of his political life may open.
I hope he gets that message or, at least, the message from the two Wazees I reference above.
Peace, Unity and the Wisdom of Wazee Rules!
Omwenga
[Unedited]

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