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Is Compromise a Four Letter Word?

It saddens me that my absence from blogging has not been broken by innovation or entrepreneurship - those things that I love so much to write about. But today I am forced to I write about something I love even more, and that is my country Kenya.

On December 26th 2007 I broke my vacation upcountry and drove two hundred kilometres in order to get to my polling station early the next morning to cast my vote. My enthusiasm to exercise my civic duty ensured that by 7:30 am on voting day I was done and was only to wait for the results.

Confident that my subscription to SMS election updates would keep me adequately informed of the results and with my phone on roaming I accepted an invitation to spend one week abroad at a friend's house. My vacation has since turned into an unplanned exile from my country as I watch in disbelief as Kenya disintegrates at an alarming pace.

I cannot stand by and watch as my beautiful Kenya is destroyed by the pride of two men. Kenya is bigger than both actors in this current crisis. The intransigence of these leaders will not endear supporters to them in the long run. The solution is compromise; making equitable concessions that bring them to a middle ground.

I preach compromise because it is the surest way to resolve conflict. I have had conflicts as well in business; I have had to deal several times with dissatisfied clients, unsatisfactory service/products from suppliers, angry creditors, mteja debtors, unreasonable landlords etc. and I have found that however bad any situation seems it can be resolved where there is compromise. I've had to compromise where I feel aggrieved and where I am perceived as the instigator of the conflict; and where necessary I have actively sought compromise from my antagonist.

I therefore make a passionate plea to Hon. Raila Odinga and Hon. Mwai Kibaki not to act like compromise is a dirty word, and instead to embrace it for the sake of millions of Kenyans.

I also challenge Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka to rise to the occasion. Kenyans are looking for a leader who will aggressively pursue the path of peace and reconciliation. A leader who will desist from empty rhetoric and instead act pragmatically to quell violence and sow harmony. Hon. Musyoka this is your opportunity to show us what you're made of; don't waste it.

Comments

Harry Karanja said…
I have just watched Hon. Kibaki's press conference and it saddened me greatly. I was hoping that the President would take the initiative towards a middle ground but this was not reflected in his speech.
Although he said he will lead national healing, this remains rhetoric as long as he is holed up in State House. His insistence that the elections were free and fair and that ODM should seek court redress for their grievances are not helpful at all, and he'd rather not have said anything at all.
Anonymous said…
Nice blog. Thats all.

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