Ignore The HANDSHAKE, Let’s Talk Divorce
By Albert Nyakundi Amenya aka The Banana Peddler
Everyone will agree with me that this Jubilee (Uhuru and Ruto) marriage is not working. As the wise say, “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure” It is time we do something before it is too late.
Sometimes I tend to liken the Jubilee marriage African family set ups. Long time ago when an African man wanted to chase away his wife and marry another woman, he would look for an excuse to bring in another wife. The first wife would wake up to find she has a co-wife but would not complain because of the oppressive tradition. The second wife would control the entire family including the first wife because she had the full backing of her husband. The first wife had no right to complain because of the consequences that would befall her. She would either slave for her junior or voluntarily park her belongings and get the hell out of that home.
Fast forward, the ancient marriage set up is the same situation in our current political atmosphere. Jubilee is a marriage between two spouses namely Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto. One is a man and the other is a woman. These spouses met when they already have children (followers). In this case, Uhuru is a ‘hubby’ and ‘Ruto’ is a woman. Since they got hitched, the two spouses have been pretending that all is well with their marriage yet the contrary is the truth. It has been anything but just a marriage of convenience. The two mates have realized they were not meant for each other.
Their children (politicians like Moses Kuria and Kipchumba Murkomen) have been fighting and hurling unprintable words at each other on a daily basis. It reached a point where the husband wanted to kick out the wife. He secretly crafted a plan to marry another stubborn ‘wife’ called Raila Odinga led so that he can deal with his first wife. This second wife too has extremely stubborn children, (Raila’s supporters) The two married in a traditional wedding called ‘THE HANDSHAKE’ at the venue called Harambee House.
So far, no straight thinking being can gainsay the fact that since Raila and his children (followers) joined his brother Uhuru in his house Jubilee without Ruto’s knowledge, things have not been easy for William Ruto the ‘wife’. It is clear that Raila the second ‘wife’ is determined to break this marriage for good. The husband has hardened his new wife by instilling impunity into her head. She always carries herself indecorously because she has the support of her husband. The woman has no respect for her elder that she found there. From her telling behavior, it is evident she wants the first wife to be kicked out so that she can take full control.
To confirm that the husband is in support of his younger wife’s arrogance, he has openly favored her children by allocating them fertile lands that formerly belonged to the first wife’s children. It is apparent that the husband never loved his first wife. He pretended to love her and married her only for political support and not true love. He purported to love his first wife and children so as to get the political support from them and dump them thereafter. He was simply a certified hypocrite.
It has reached an extent where the husband is using his children to go and destroy the projects that his first wife worked hard to achieve. He and his children are falsely accusing the first wife that she is a thief and that whatever she has, she acquired illegally. One thing he forgets, the first wife is not an idiot to toy with the way he thinks. If he and his children keep pushing it, it will be messy and noisy. The second wife – a renowned home breaker – will be in for a rude shock too. What she does not know is that may be the greedy man might be using her to get rid of the first wife and then get a divorce too. It remains to be seen.
My professional advice:
Undoubtedly, the Jubilee marriage is unworkable. President Uhuru Kenyatta should as a matter of urgency, trigger a referendum so that we can discuss our continued unity as a nation. A marriage shouldn’t be devoid of honest conversation. Marriage is an institution that cannot work without respect among stakeholders. This is a crucial period to come together to cement our shaky union or marred relationship or part ways. We are all disgruntled with the current set up of the corrupt system, and how it has decimated the lives of the vulnerable people among us.
No one should be afraid of intelligent discourse as majority of Kenyan people are for peaceful coexistence. Honest national conversation shouldn’t be a burden. We can negotiate our unity, not for disintegration but for weeding out those nuances (disrespect) that threaten a better life for all Kenyans. We can negotiate the nuance of regionalisation for national cohesion and development. The centre must be made weak and unattractive for career politicians whose stock in trade is hate.
That DP Ruto is mum in the face of disrespect as directed at him, does not mean he is a coward. As William Shakespeare writes in Measure for Measure, Isabella advises
“O, it is excellent to have a giant’s strenght, but it is tyrannous to use it like a giant.”
Let us respect one another. .Please!
albertamenya@yahoo.com
(The writer sells bananas on the streets of Kisii town)
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