REFORMS: A NEW CLICHÉ IN PUBLIC DOMAIN

By Wesonga Quintas

Of all the entries in the dictionary, reforms and love are the two words that are the most misused. Today let me dwell on the former and set the latter for another day. Often I look at what people refer to as reforms and I want to cry. However, my age does not allow me to cry erratically.

Long ago, Martin Luther King Junior fought for the rights of African-Americans. He had a dream that came to pass. Obama is president which is a clear fulfilment of that dream. Now some blacks have gone a notch higher in their demands. My friend was asking why certain parts of the road whereaccidents are common are called black spots. Why not blue or white?


Satan is portrayed as black whereas Jesus and anything good is portrayed as white. These are some of the complaints by my black colleagues. If you visited the Catholic National Marian Shrine at Subukia, you will be shocked to find the statue of Mary, the mother of Jesus, depicting her as an African. In fact looking at the statue, you may think she could have been born somewhere around Butere. This is where we go wrong. Save for Jesus whose genealogy is unknown, is there any chance that Mary could have been black?

Another reform that marked a trajectory in the wrong direction is one initiated by Martin Luther back in the 18th century; the beginning of Protestantism. Back then, Luther had very good reasons and I swear had I lived in those days I would have followed him. The continued religious schism today has no basis whatsoever. We now have briefcase churches. I know a mother whose four sons are all pastors in different churches. Someone starts a church with his family members and no outsider. There are as many churches today as they are political parties in Kenya.

Churches come up on a daily basis without any meaning. This is one area I will want to deal with first when I join parliament. There is a church called Heaven Chopper International. It is neither the same as Helicopter Ministries nor that of Finger of God. Faith Gospel Church, Gospel of Faith Church, Gospel of Christ and King Jesus Faith Gospel are all different groups. What is the sense here?

There is this guy who wondered why he was being forced to worship a “foreign God.” We worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Why not a local God? Why not God of Njoki or God of Chirchir? These are the funny questions that arise all in the name of reforms.

After revising all books and making new constitutions just for reforms, I bet these people are likely to turn to the Bible for more “reforms.” To ensure gender and regional balance, don’t be shocked to find the disciples of Jesus now comprise 7 men and 5 women where 2 must be Africans and at least some from Asia!