Five Vocabularies That Are Quintessentially Kenyan Spoken words set human beings apart as the most intriguing species in the animal kingdom. By words, humans are able to communicate to each other. By words, objectives are formed and implemented. By words, people are inspired or expired. Even the bible records in Genesis that by spoken word, God created heaven and earth and light and darkness.
Words can form our individual and collective character and arouse our imagination to act positively or negatively. Confession is possession. In fact, the character of a nation lies in its national dictum- words that permeate national vocabulary.
Take Kenya. There are words that are quintessentially Kenyan. They in essence define the state of our nation. These words capture individual or collective character of our society. By these five words or vocabularies, you will know who Kenyans are.
The first vocabulary is Corruption. The term simply means moral perversion; impairment of virtue. It could also mean lack of moral principles. From the shores of Indian Ocean to the plains of Busia, the term corruption reverberates across Kenyan. We talk about it. We decry it. But the term corruption has become part of our vocabulary. It defines who we are as a people. Even Transparency International categorized us as the fourth most corrupt people in the world.
The second vocabulary is impunity. The term impunity means exemption from punishment. This word has become synonymous with inability to punish crime. Although new constitutional dispensation has a detailed explanation on how justice is supposed to be dispensed, there exists inequality when it comes to serving justice irrespective of social status. By the same law, the rich and the elite go unpunished while the poor and the weak are severely punished. Either way, impunity is inextricably linked to our national vocabulary.
The third vocabulary which is relatively new in our collective psychology is promulgation. The term promulgation is not a new word. Yet, it has awakened our vocabulary in a magnificent manner. Until the enactment of the new constitution the term promulgation which means to put law into effect by formal pronouncement, was alien. But as we speak, a real sophisticated Kenyan will always find a space in spoken or written words to insert the term promulgation. Woe unto those who cannot pronounce this word. For how will people know you’re a Kenyan yawa?
Fourth vocabulary is tribe. The rest of the world uses this word pejoratively to refer to a uncivilized people who belong to a specific group that share cultural identity. But Kenyans have embraced the term tribe to define ancestry. Perhaps we dwell more on tribe than nationalism. That’s why instead of embracing tribe as a form of identity, we have domesticated it as a form of discrimination against each other. Like it or hate it, the term tribe has definitely become part of our vocabulary and part of our ethos.
The final vocabulary is Religion. In his book African Philosophy and Religion, Prof. John Mbiti describes Africans as notoriously religious people. So are Kenyans. Kenyans live religion, eat religion, drink religion and breathe religion. Defined as a set of belief system in God, gods or some form of spirituality, Kenyans wear their religion on their forehead.
But if you ask me, our religion hasn’t helped much. In fact, it is one of our problems. Until we internalize and imbue religion in our life styles, it will remain a vain faith. But whether you like it or not, religion is our vocabulary.
By Jacktone Ambuka, a Kenyan residing at Pennsylvania, USA. You Can Reach me by email jsambuka@yahoo.com, Twitter @JackAmbuka
