By Shazia Majale,
Experiencing all-time highs can leave one with the worst kind of withdrawal symptoms. Having climaxes that were previously thought impossible at times leaves recipients stuck in a bubble of expectations that, if not handled cautiously, ends up in catastrophes.
For starters, still fresh in our minds is the successful march to parliament led by Gen Z. A march characterized by unlived Kenyans, gunshots, multitudes of protestors, kidnappings, threats, and a lot more.
When protestors left their homes on the fateful 25th June to take to the streets, accessing the Parliament premises might not necessarily have been a top priority but given the circumstances that be, ended up being the highlight of the day.
The folly of this occurrence, however, is that ambitious asks keep seeing the light of the day every so often, and while they may hold the ground, going about these asks seems to be a tall order—protest after protest, rhetoric after rhetoric.
Protests did serve their purposes, and while there’s still a lot to be desired from the political class, maybe picketing no longer serves the purpose, and other avenues should be exploited to avoid running a futile cause. And with all the negative happenings surrounding the protests, only so many people can keep showing up.
Something else to wonder about is the president. Having won the elections despite all the competition faced by the opposition, He might have marveled a little too much at the win and almost forgotten what the actual work entailed.
Swooning at promises and flying between continents, the president’s shift from being the most sought-after diplomat to the most infamous one happened in a split second, and the chances that things could get more awry are still dancing on the horizon.
The failure to evolve into a president from being a presidential candidate is still very evident, and if second chances are anything to go by, probably once bitten isn’t quite enough.
The voters are also stuck on a pedestal. They have been oppressed for the longest time but are quick to forget once a politician they idolize gains something politically.
At the expense of this kins shot and maimed in the streets while demanding for good governance, an unceremonious handshake of a broad-based government has seen many forget the quality of life they toil to sustain. Tribal politics is back where reason seemed to be gaining traction. Disappointing as it is, it is still an everyday reminder of why civic education is important for the masses.
Oh! Not to forget, moving on most days feels like giving up, like a failure. Moving on, however, gives time to recharge, be informed, focus on other life events, and participate in civic education. Moving on is putting in place systems that work for the better. It’s showing up when it counts. Avoiding micro aggressions so that when one is actually needed, their presence actually counts, and the impacts are felt.
Moving on is working out the next reasonable step!
