PATRIOTISM

PATRIOTISM

By Brian Moseti

Perhaps it has taken, DJs in clubs to remind us of what patriotism is

in the dead of the night

playing the national anthem to people who are more than half crazed

with booze, drugs and the sheer thrill of life

remember during the Moi era when patriotism meant screaming ‘Nyayo’ on public holidays

when all shops were closed

everyone trooped to the stadiums or glued themselves to the TV

to watch the march past and listen to the speech

when public barazas meant everyone had to attend

failure to do so prompted the chief to send the 'youth' to come fetch you

for six strokes of the cane

who decided on six strokes anyway

doesn’t the bible have forty strokes

when all came to a standstill because the president was visiting

all shops and businesses closed

those times when the sight of a policeman evoked terror

even when one had done nothing

lately though, no one cares

no one bothers to stop and stand still in honor when the flag goes up or down

no one cares about public holidays save for an excuse to engage in boisterous revelry

when public holidays fall on weekends

all that is left are ‘Proudly Kenyan’ campaigns

that elicit cynical comments from the people

from citizens whose only question is, 'what’s the point'

after all tomorrow we will have forgotten

or something more interesting will have come up

like say

someone has embezzled public funds

or the government has been swindled off a big chunk of taxpayers’ money

by some fraudsters who were welcomed into the country like emirs

cartoonists will have a field day in the papers.

internet memes will trend

bloggers and activists who have turned to propagandists and alarmists will have a field day

where one of them will end up in prison

we will forget,

as countless die of hunger

or some two communities will slit each other’s throats

and the blame game will begin

and cries of ‘naomba serikali’ will fill the air

ENDS

@mossetti