Letters to God: A prayer for the Kenyan republic

For a long time now I have been trying to get in on the action that is Kenyan politics. Around or just before the August 8th elections, your girl was out here trying to be a civic educator with the First Time Voter Chronicles series I had going on. Now that I think about it, it really wasn't an effort to get in on the action of the Kenyan political scene, it was more, me trying to get my head wrapped around Kenyan politics because for the first time I would be voting. It is pretty safe to say, in fact, I will just go ahead and say it, it's the excitement that got the best of me. Deep down I could really care less about the political scene.

A few days ago I wanted to write a post titled, "Why I am not voting". But as the days have gone by the answer has changed to be simply, I don't care. And boy, let me tell you it feels good to get that off my chest.

I can almost hear your judgemental sentiments seeping through the screen, except let me reiterate the fact that I don't care. We have all been sucked into a political cycle where politics is taking centre stage. It has become the only thing on the radio, the t.v, the internet. Dare I say we are the  ones responsible for creating the monster that is Kenyan politics by giving it a listening ear and more than that an eager listening ear . We tune into the news where we can hardly get any legit information on the state of the nation. I constantly ask myself why I allow myself to give the press time of day and get sucked in to the drama.


The politics this year alone has sickened me to the very core. I am so sick in fact I don't think I will vote again, ever. It scares me to say it but August 8th may have been my first and last time voting. On the ballot is either a person who I barely know, money hungry or just undeserving of my endorsement. There might be that one God sent candidate who would tick all my boxes and genuinely love this country more than they love the pay and power that comes with their service, but how often do you hear about this lone ranger?

Last night it all came to a stop, for me at least.I had since resolved to put a lid on all of it, well, what I can. Talking, listening or watching it only feeds my frustration and I have just had enough of this negative energy. In the words of Cardi B,  "and I'm quick cut a n*$%a off so don't get comfortable ". For a few hours, between last night and this morning, the detox from Kenyan politics was showing immediate results, I had my mindset back.

They weren't lying when they said God works in mysterious ways and wouldn't you know it God eased his mysterious self on to my daily devotional. This was his subtle way of letting me know that shutting it out is not going to solve anything and unfortunately He couldn't be more right.

Yesterday the long awaited announcement was made. As if it was a mystery or worse a closely contested race *rolls eyes*. Neither the winner or his closest rival was my cuppa but it is what it is.

Back to the game changing devotion which this morning came from Isaiah 11:2-9. Israel had had a rough couple of years, my Sunday school memory has done a runner on me but I do know that at some point King Saul was not a good dude, King David was fighting war after war and King Solomon I am almost sure was the one who gave the okay for idolatry. Not a 5/5 rating, but look at Israel now.

Verses 2-5 is what stood out most  and that's the prayer and energy I am  sending to the president elect, deputy president elect and Kenyan governance at large. I pray for leadership, the Spirit of the Lord, wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, fear of the Lord, delight in obeying the Lord, not to judge or make biased decision based on hearsay, justice to the poor and fair decisions to the exploited.

As a nation we are humbled only during election season and that is when the importance of God is pronounced. That's pretty embarrassing, that our sincerity and desperation for peace and calm is near negligible four years after we have made the grand decision.

Lord hear us.