a young man's reflections on political landscape in Kenya

In those few years I’ve seen it all

I’ve had it rough, rise and fall

My insignificant entry at the door of the last decade

I’d not sat down for comfort, only for that tide

This was said to be the birth of a new Republic

A second one, purchased in toil for our sake

Young I was, clueless and ignorant

Craving, that mine birth were that significant

For I was the life to the born republic

Marking departure from that first relic

But Thomasses said ‘twas all propaganda

Propagated by a caucus of political simpletons

Seeing this could only drift us asunder

All said and done, ‘twas a walk in blinding fog

Their bolt speed reduced to a painful jog

Like kids, their fighting’d gave him the gap

Only to wake to this fact

While devoid of any tact

Five years down the line, all was familiar

The scenario was all the same as earlier

This time though these were fools

They’d stood still for him like filthy pools

They’d let him have it again

Hassle free, sweat free, and no bargain

When I was ten, they ganged up

But this time the professor was out of town

He just put up a rookie, the choice of his own

Thinking for any of his merchandise we’d shop

But wrong he was this time, not even at a song

All and sundry sang and danced

The stale years were over, damned

We’re back to fresh air, to our feet

This smelled sure, oh what a pity!

That when we hope it’s a hop into a deep pit

The sweet dream became a nightmare

Dragon of old was return, transparency became rare

Billions sunk to float the drowned millions

The shepherds became the predators

The owed the debtors

It was an imaginary garden

With real toads within

Later fruits were eaten but only worsened

The already fragile situation

The doctored constitution led to constipation

People saw between its lines and gave it a kick

They needed no such treatment as if sick

And hence the fruit of death

And of ignorance was planted and tasted

And this; a curse this side of earth

In pursuit of greed we’d begot hatred

Thence got we, from peace paradise, a notice to leave

The explosion was yet to be, but ‘twas grave

In two years, the land was up in flames

And as before men and women traded blames

Each claimed of his innocence

In crime absence, in crown presence

They rattled on, as blood watered the soil

On and on they put more fuel

In an already volatile reaction, how cruel!

They agreed to share the spoils,

Yet not the blame,

Not even a little of it, what a shame!

From the taste of blood, their heads were swollen

In anger, like a serpent around prey coiling

With whoever helps them down, they’ll go down

But it’s untrue about going up

This’s a cancer

I can‎’t even see its source

For we’ve hidden it for long

May be we’ll have it till end

Even the judicial surgery

Was in futility

And even in the light of the new illumination

The monsters seem to live on

Like the persistence of an inexistent vision

Normally an optical illusion

Despite it having been real

Nothing is real anymore

The only constant things, two

Change and the abstract…