Our long celebrated hero Nelson Mandela said “It is too easy to break down and destroy. The heroes are those who make peace and build.”
It is absurd, to me, how we Kenyans expect more than we give. We want a perfect government, perfect leaders and perfect systems, when we are not any bit close to perfect ourselves.
Allow me to introduce myself, as a Kenyan, who will at all costs defend her nation; and, at the same time, who will never settle for less than what she thinks Kenya as a whole can offer. A Kenyan, who will neither close her eyes nor shut her mouth  to the breakage and decay of her motherland; one who strongly believes that without peace, life is meaningless; and even great nations like Kenya can decay. One who believes that Kenyans can unite, live in peace and build the nation together in one harmony.
In our loyalty pledge; we pledge our loyalty to the president and the nation of Kenya. We say we are devoted to the words of our national anthem, and our life and strength in the task of our nation’s building. How many of us really do that? From the top leaders to the common mwananchi? I am only left to wonder; How loyal are we to the president? To the nation at large? Are we really living the words of our national anthem? There is nothing to show for it, sadly.
My fellow Kenyans, what option is better for us?
- To support the president in the nation building process, or to sit down and make all his efforts fruitless? Do we give  a hand, or wait until the one we desired comes to reign before we take part? Will we not be the same people, at the end of his tenure, criticizing him for failure when we did not even appreciate, let alone recognize his efforts?
Why Kenyans, can’t we come together and work as a one people, as a nation? Why don’t we all commit to the words of our national anthem and loyalty pledge? Why? Is it because of our tribal differences? Is it because given the position of the president we would have done better than him? Come on! Let us be real.
We, each and every Kenyan, are the nation builders, and have the mandate to be actively involved in steering the country to a greater height. In as much us we have the president and other political leaders, their failure is our failure as a country. Pointing fingers at them is as good as calling ourselves “good for nothing citizens”. The best we can do is join hands together and watch the country grow.
Let us not forget that the president and all the politician are just normal people like we…they are not perfect. They may, and will definitely fail us at some point, but that does not change the fact that we still have a part to play too! It does not change the fact that Kenya is ours to build!
Take for instance, I am one of the scholarship student s whose cries have been given a deaf ear by the government; but that does not change the fact that Kenya is still my country. In fact, it stimulates me to be the best I can be, so that no other bright Kenyan will ever walk through my shoes in future.
Instead of criticizing and complaining of the current government’s failures and misdoings, each Kenyan should and MUST with sincerity of heart ask themselves; ” WHAT AM I DOING PERSONALLY FOR MY COUNTRY?” Not what the politicians or the president is not doing; because at the end, it will not matter what the government did or did not do for you, but what you did for the country, the role you played in building the nation. It will matter what we gave for the good of the country. Trust me Kenyans, complaining and rebelling won’t take us anywhere, it will only break us apart. Doing something to contribute to the vision of the country will do us great.
So, let us unite and join the president in the nation building process. Let us be the peacemakers that will go down in history as a people who joined hands for the greatness of their nation.
As long as the president reigns, he deserves our loyalty and respect. Whether we acknowledge it or not, he is our father, and we the citizens, his children. Any child that is disrespectful to the father calls for a curse on his head. I can’t say less of a country that has no gratitude to the efforts of her president, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem. We might disagree in many things, but without our support the country will not go anywhere promising.  Honestly, we owe our president a lot. As far as I am concerned, it does not matter who we wished was the president, it doesn’t matter who we voted for; what matters now is that we have a president who has the growth of our beloved Kenya at heart, it is clear, thought we can choose to close our eyes and focus on the negative side.  I will say again that as long as Mr Uhuru Kenyatta is the president of our nation, he deserves our respect and support, whether or not we voted him in. It is not about him, but about the future of the country. Let us not be short sighted, beloved and great Kenyans.
I believe that peace is possible for Kenya, I believe we can all take a part in making the Kenya that we want. I believe that we can be united for the good of our country, if at all we live the words of our national anthem and the loyalty pledge. My request is; Let us respect the president, make peace and build the nation together, then watch and see the results.
By Liz Ekakoro:Diaspora Messenger contributor/Kenyan in Ukrain
