Banana Republic vs. Orange Revolution
When: Sep 14th, 2005 2:01:19 am - Subscribe
I'm feeling: amused
Talk, Opinion, Music, Life, Stuff: Life
And God created Kenya on the eighth day.
At least that's what I think, when I read the daily papers. We are one weird country!! Only 16 out of 222 "Honorable" Members of Parliament have a university education. However, you can argue that leaders (as opposed to managers) do not necessarily need to be highly educated. Look at the list of the richest men in the world. They were all college dropouts (or they were told they would amount to nothing), and went ahead to make something out of themselves without a degree. (I have just finished my degree, so there goes any chance I have to be mega-rich. DANG!!) So why aren't we a rich country?
But all that aside, there is something BIG going down in Kenyaville. Yes! The Constitution Review. Our previous constitution was crafted by the British at independence. Some years later the current one was enforced. 40 years down the line, we need a new one, and on November 21, we will go into the first referendum ever in the country. It is now time to decide whether we want the new constitution or not.
The run up to the referendum has brought out some of the most interesting traits of Kenyans that makes me love us so much. Nothing can be simple for us! We just have to complicate everything. In a referendum like this the question should be simple, "Tick YES or NO".
Kenyans, on the other hand, have to crank it a notch higher. The Electoral Commission ballot paper will bear the words, "I am For/ Nakubali" and "I am Against/ Napinga". There will also be a question and answer section with the question, "Are you for or against the ratification of the proposed new constitution?" What the heck? And that isn't the half of it.
The symbols to be used are Orange for No and Banana for Yes. This seemingly innocent choice has sparked the most comical debate yet. The Electoral Commission Chairperson thought that Banana and Orange are relatively neutral symbols, but judging from the responses in the media, I beg to differ.
Some people think that we are being forced to choose between being a Banana Republic and enjoying an Orange Revolution like Ukraine. Someone else asks, "Must the fruits be ripe? Can they be genetically modified? What if someone is allergic to either one of the fruits? What of those who have never seen either fruit?" These are tough questions! Who can answer them?
Why Lie, I long for the good old days when a banana was a banana and an orange was an orange.
Drama aside, there are some benefits from this madness. One, fruit farmers are smiling all the way to the bank. Opposing camps are holding barazas (public meetings) where they dish out their preferred fruit. Feeding these crowds takes money. I envy these fruit farmers, they are making a killing!! This is probably the shortest path to an economic boom. (Free information - Our projected economic growth rate this year is 5%.) And as a bonus, at the current rate of fruit consumption, we are probably the healthiest nation on the planet.
Another benefit is that Kenyans are really talking about and discussing the proposed constitution. Just like the run-up to the last election in 2002, the air is filled with constitution talk and its impact on the future of the country. We are a generally well educated and talkative bunch, meaning the discussions are well thought out (I think!) and filled with legal jargon.
Thirdly, with our ever evolving Sheng (Kenyan slang), we don't just ask Yes or No, we ask "Are you Banana or Orange?" Kenyans!!
I think I'll continue eating oranges till November 21. Let's see what happens on that day.
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gatwiri - October 01st, 2005 |
