The Moran of Today
It waits.
Quietly.
Patiently.
Until a generation forgets.
Then it returns—not in books, but in the consequences of ignorance and poverty.
The other day I found myself thinking about the Maasai.
The old stories say the Maa people fiercely resisted Arab slave traders. Whether every tale was told exactly as it happened, historians can debate. What we cannot disagree on, is this: there were communities that chose to stand rather than kneel. Men who believed freedom was worth more than comfort.
And I wonder...
Where did that spirit go?
Sometimes I think we have become tourists in our own history. We celebrate Madaraka Day, sing patriotic songs, wave flags, eat nyama choma and a glass of Yohana Mtembezi and then go back to selling the very freedoms our forefathers died protecting.
Freedom has become a public holiday.
Not a responsibility.
A friend once told me, "You never know the value of a shoe until you lose it."
At the time we did not get the feel of it.
But now we understand, the promises made,
"In 6 Months!!!"
The pain of empty promises, and unrealized Visions
Speaking your mind became something you first calculate.
Suddenly the shoe started feeling very important.
Maybe...
Just maybe...
We are slowly discovering the value of freedom because we are beginning to lose pieces of it.
Our grandparents fought colonialism with bows, spears, courage and hope. Some never came back. Others returned carrying scars they never spoke about. They weren't fighting because they hated white men. They were fighting because they loved Kenya more than they feared death.
That is patriotism.
Today we don't have chains around our hands.
We have chains around our thinking.
We defend politicians before we defend principles.
We defend tribes before we defend truth.
Atu a Murima!! Jo Nam!! Waisanga!!
We defend parties before we defend the Constitution.
And somehow we still call ourselves free.
The irony is painful.
Our National Anthem has been singing to us since childhood, but I wonder if we have ever listened.
Amkeni ndugu zetu...
Tufanye sote bidii...
Nasi tujitoe kwa nguvu...
Nchi yetu ya Kenya...
Tunayoipenda...
Tuwe tayari kuilinda.
Look carefully.
It doesn't say, "Let politicians protect Kenya."
It says...
Let us.
All of us.
The wananchi.
The mama mboga.
The mkokoteni guy.
The mason carrying cement.
The teacher.
The nurse.
The student.
The mechanic.
The farmer.
The boda rider.
The blogger.
That is where Kenya lives.
Not inside Parliament.
Not inside State House.
Inside ordinary people.
So who is the Moran of today?
It is no longer the man carrying a spear across the plains.
The modern Moran carries truth.
He protects justice.
She protects accountability.
They refuse to sell a vote for two hundred shillings and a bottle of hard liquor.
They ask difficult questions.
They read.
They think.
They challenge.
They vote wisely.
Because today's battle is not against colonial masters.
It is against corruption.
Against ignorance.
Against tribalism.
Against hopelessness.
Against leaders who mistake public office for private inheritance.
The enemy changed uniforms.
The mission remained the same.
Perhaps that is why the young people keep saying "Tuko Kadi!"
Maybe they are not merely announcing they are ready.
Maybe they are reminding us that every generation must produce its own Morans.
Our grandfathers fought for independence.
Our parents fought for democracy.
Our generation must fight for accountability.
Because a country does not disappear in one day.
It disappears when good people decide that someone else will protect it.
The Moran of today is not measured by the strength of his spear.
He is measured by the courage of his conscience.
As Chávez once said, “Once you educate the people, you cannot make them unlearn.” We have seen the future, and the future is ours. They think we don’t see. But we are faceless, and yet, we see.
Gods of Taita Taveta, let’s make it in our own image. Next Saturday, stay tuned for our next episode. We are now on Facebook @Alve Mwaregha.
For any queries or information, reach out to us at Voice of Taita Taveta @doctalve or email doctalve@gmail.com.
— Voice of Taita Taveta
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