Where is the leadership to save Kenya?

Chief Justice David Maraga addresses members of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs during their retreat at Pride Inn Paradise Hotel in Mombasa on January 26, 2018. He urged leaders to respect the rule of law. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Events over the past two weeks indicate that this country is also sliding headlong into a state of dictatorship and anarchy.
  • The Government’s onslaught on the rule of law, the Judiciary and the opposition is a vindictive and dangerous exercise.

Laurent Monsengro Pasinya is not a household name in Kenya. However the 78 year old Kinshasa Cardinal is a hero for millions in DR Congo and the major obstacle to Joseph Kabila’s devious plan to dodge elections and remain as President indefinitely.

Elections were originally due on December 23, 2015 but Kabila cunningly postponed them on logistics grounds.

The Cardinal then brokered a deal that would position elections before the end of 2017.

When Kabila once more failed to honour the agreement, Monsengro organised a peaceful demonstration starting outside Catholic Churches in the capital as well as Lubumbashi, Goma, Kisangani and Bukavu on New Year’s Eve last year.

DEMONSTRATIONS

Kabila’s police shot and killed 12 unarmed demonstrators.

But the Cardinal was not intimidated and promised to repeat the protest three weeks later.

Faithful to his word, thousands attended mass on January 21 and left the churches carrying rosaries, crosses and bibles while singing hymns of peace.

Hundreds were arrested including 12 priests while six protestors were mowed down by the police.

Kabila wants to crush all opposition but Monsengro told him bluntly that he will not stand for a third term in violation of the Constitution.

The Cardinal’s response to the violence meted out on peaceful demonstrators was, ‘we can only denounce, condemn and stigmatise the behaviour of our supposedly courageous men in uniform, who sadly and more or less are channelling barbarism’.

UNITY
The Church has become the focal point for all opposition to dictatorship, corruption and impunity.

The Church in DRC is not responding to the nation’s crisis with timid statements and appeals for dialogue.

They tried that and Kabila deceived them. They are now leading from the front and Catholics are being joined in the protests by Muslims and other Christian denominations.

They have had enough of dictatorship. Kabila was recently forced to give his first press conference in five years but eventually Monsengro will force him out of office.

DICTATORSHIP
In neighbouring Zambia, the Archbishop of Lusaka, T-G Mpundu, issued a pastoral letter at Easter last year in which he boldly told President Edgar Lungu, "Our country is now all, except in designation, a dictatorship and if it is not yet then we are not far from it.

"Our political leaders in the ruling party often issue intimidating statements that frighten people and make us fear for the immediate and future."

Events over the past two weeks indicate that this country is also sliding headlong into a state of dictatorship and anarchy.

The Government’s onslaught on the rule of law, the Judiciary and the opposition is a vindictive and dangerous exercise.

The National Super Alliance will become more combative and ethnic and political violence more and more likely.

The absence of prudence, civility and respect for the rule of law is frightening.

JUDICIARY
Chief Justice David Maraga stands a lonely figure between the hostile forces in defending the rule of law and sanity as he attempts to pull Kenya back from the brink.

But the type of leadership that Monsengro and Mpundu have shown is urgently needed but currently missing.

Only a massive show of decent, law abiding citizens telling the political class they are taking back their country from the threats of anarchy and dictatorship can save Kenya.

Fr Gabriel Dolan is a Catholic priest based in Mombasa. [email protected] @GabrielDolan1