Nairobi News

Dear Mr President,

You are not doing the right thing.

The country is in a serious crisis. I am not a hater, here are some difficult, stubborn facts.

The doctors are on their 76th day of the strike. Which, if you asked me is now a movement.

You did wrong to jail the doctors even if it was for two days. It was not right to use the GSU to intimidate doctors.

Your government’s actions this week reminded a lot Kenyans of the dark old Kanu days, when people were jailed not for their crimes but for speaking out for their rights.

Mr President, Kenyans are in pain.

The other stubborn fact here is that the people you have left in-charge to solve this matter; the Health Cabinet Secretary, the Principal Secretary and all the other parties, are letting you down. They are making you look bad.

From outside, we look like a country that cannot run its affairs. I mean, where else in the world have you heard of doctors being on strike for over two months and being jailed for shouting about their rights? From a distance, your government ticks all the boxes of a despotic regime.

But you are not that man, Mr President. You are better than this. You know it, I know it, Kenyans know it. It is no wonder they elected you. You won the election because Kenyans believed you were the better option.

ELECTED YOU

They woke up at 4am on March 4, 2013, braved the morning cold, endured endless queues and the scathing sun to vote for you. They stayed up all night in polling stations, glued to their TV sets, following every bit of the elections.

They had so much hope in a new government under the leadership of a relatively young and vibrant dynamic ‘digital’ duo that promised them a better life.

Kenyans elected you. Nobody elected Health CS Mailu. Nobody elected PS Muraguri. Nobody elected any of those people that you have left in-charge.

Mr President, this is no longer a health crisis. This is a human rights issue. This is not just another strike. This is a moral dilemma. This is not just another crisis you are dealing with. This is a leadership test. You are being tested, Mr President and it is time for you to intervene.

It is time for you to deal with this health crisis, personally. It is time, for you to roll up your sleeves and storm into that boardroom, stare into their eyes and tell them, “We are not leaving here without a solution”.

You cannot afford to go another day Mr President as mothers get turned away from hospitals with sick children on their backs.

You cannot afford to sleep soundly through another night as people who stood for hours waiting to vote for you go without healthcare.

EGO CONTEST

This has ceased to be an ego contest between the government and the doctors. This is about the lives of the 47 million Kenyans who have to do without public healthcare for two months now.

Stop listening to the voices around you. Stop listening to those people who are telling you to kaa ngumu. I genuinely think the doctor’s strike is affecting you, even though you may put up a brave face out there.

I also honestly believe that you know what is going on, you feel the pain of the poor Kenyans who cannot afford private healthcare. But I also believe that the buck stops with you. I think you are the key to this stalemate.

I know it is hard. It certainly is not easy being president. If it was easy anyone would be. You, Mr President, are one of four special men that God gave an opportunity to lead this country.

If you are wondering where to start, I just might have an idea.

You will need a lot of wisdom. You will need a discerning spirit. You will need divine knowledge and understanding of what exactly the problem here is. Ask God for nimbleness of thought and clarity of mind. And while you pray, ask the Lord to deliver you from stupid people who cannot be trusted by their president to solve a crisis.

Take charge Mr President. You are our vision. You are the President of the Republic of Kenya. You are the most powerful man in this country. If the President wants to end the crisis, the crisis will listen to the President.

We are waiting on you, Mr President.

Yours truly,
We The People