Written by: John Muhanji on November 4, 2019

We are living in a time of selflessness and confusion. It is coming out clear that there is nothing new under the sun but instead confusion from reigns the present. Friedman, an ordained Rabbi, describes this act of our confusion as he writes, “A society cannot evolve, no matter how much freedom is guaranteed, when the citizenry is more focused on one another than on their own beliefs and value.” He continues to say our political and religious institutions are more sophisticated, the richness of our artistic expression is increasingly more varied; the complexity of our problems as well as our solutions is infinitely more intricate. Friedman is speaking what we are seriously experiencing here in our country Kenya and the world at large. We are experiencing particular political rhetoric from our political leader’s words that are retrogressive in development. Leaders are continuing to talk to their electorate to be considered for the next election immediately after they have been elected. They spend five years doing no developments but talking about how they want to make the next government after the five years. They go on talking and confusing people until the next general election comes with nothing done. The circle continues after the other election. This political and social structure is not far from what Friedman is describing under the chapter a society in regression. Our church is equally a replica of the political class as the same people become leaders in the church, and the same rhetoric is repeated although not of lection but not willing to move forward to adopt new changes with the changing environment.
The Kenyan politics now is one that you would wish not to be part of because of its vicious cycle of intense reaction to each other’s events and attacking each other in political rallies. When one says something against another, there will be a response in the media from the other party. Day in day out, the same rhetoric reaction to each other is seen playing in the lives of Kenyans by political leaders. It becomes the selling news of the media listening to what politicians are saying over each other and running to the other politicians questioning and getting a response. The media has made it a business of making money from politicians by reporting many trashes they say in political rallies. I see this one of the five characteristics of chronically anxious families, described by Friedman as Reactivity. Our society has gone into an emotional regression that is toxic to well-defined leadership. The polarization of politics by some of our leaders in Kenya are seriously toxic and divisive in the country. Friedman’s writing of the five characteristics was well crafted as if they were aimed at addressing the political status in Kenya. Due to the high level of corruption in both private and public sector in the country, politicians who are classified into the corrupt class have ganged together against those against corruption and talk so loudly until people believe them and not the few who are against malpractices of the country’s economic abuse. The herding characteristics mentioned by Friedman is a replica of the Kenyan leader. This has contributed so much to blame displacement in our society is now the order of the day. We are not focusing on the development of the country but on issues that are all swaying us away from our realities of development. As this continues in our political environment, we tend to rush to quick-fixes to cover people from following what evil is being done.
Poor leadership has made African countries trail backward as many of our leaders when in position concentrate on enriching themselves and their families and friends closer to them at the expense of the entire nation. A society in regression is eating the African countries.

About the Author

John Muhanji

I am the Director Africa Ministries Office of Friends United Meeting. I coordinate all Quaker activities and programs in the Quaker churches and school mostly in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. The focus of my work is more on leadership development and church planting in the region especially in Tanzania.. Am married with three children all grown up now. I love playing golf as my exercise hobby. I also love reading.

One response to “A Society in Regression a Reflection of Nations”

1. Tammy Dunahoo says:

   November 8, 2019 at 8:18 am

   Truly there is nothing new under the sun and reading your post sounded very familiar to our state of affairs in the U.S. Power and control creates a corruption common to all mankind. Thank you for sharing your world with us, John.

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