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By now, everyone knows that nation building is a continuous process involving good citizens. We all feel glad when unity hugs patriotism.

Since his election, President William Ruto has not only extended a hand of friendship to Nyanza, he has also firmed the grip of his handshake.

Absent a dramatic change, the latest Cabinet Secretary-nominees will assume office. For we, the Nyanza Nilotes, have recently been touched in historic ways. This past week, Kenya witnessed the vetting of the first Finance Minister from Luoland.

Add that to the first CDF we had before this, history is made. But in the words of Winston Churchill, “This is not the end, maybe not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

You are aware the first female AG-nominee is also of the Nyanza extraction. Earlier, when we invited the President to our constituencies, he repeatedly came – and demonstrated a willingness to initiate development projects.

That he did despite pockets of resistance and a big wave of moulded propaganda.

Undeterred by the baggage of history, he moved to broaden his base. Unmoved by populism, Ruto has shown that a broad-based government is best when challenges unite against our nation. Above all, the President has shown that he listens to the public, just like a responsible parent should lend an ear to all members of his family.

Some Kenyans have questioned the value of elections when the line blurs between the winner and the Opposition. That concern is well-meaning in a democracy. As such, the answers can be summed up in three past and present examples.

First, in times of crisis, only coming together is wise. We saw that in the government of national unity following the 2007/08 election-related chaos.

We also remember that immediately after Hamas infiltrated Israel last October, the opposition and the government came together to form a war cabinet.

The same trend sufficed when Abraham Lincoln formed his ‘Team of Rivals’, and when President Barack Obama selected his nomination rival Hillary Clinton to his cabinet. Second, the old wisdom is that when in a hole, you stop digging.

The Kenyan house was ablaze and Ruto chose not to fuel the fire – but to extinguished it. The country reached an inflection point – and with thorns in our path, a chance to remove them was seized. The possibilities he considered were likely enormous.

One would have been to resign and precipitate uncertainty. Yet the other road he chose was to ask the Raila-led wing of patriotic Kenyans to help steady the nation. Kenyans feel safer now because the

President was persuaded by wise counsel into a brighter road. We all can feel amazing change in the air.
You see, with the emerging climate, the highway to our development is now paved with gold. It is not like the President did not have other equally persuasive options.

He did have the status quo but chose progress. He could have elected to make hardliners happy but decided to put Kenya first.

In Migori, we now have 10 markets under construction and funded by the national government; a huge hydroelectric plant in the pipeline – having secured Cabinet approval.

Our Level 4 hospital in Uriri is more than 70 percent, and our TVTI in Oyani now has adequate personnel and is digitally equipped.

Perhaps these moves, when put together, show a deeper understanding: that the answer to historic marginalisation is not enhanced marginalisation – it is cooperation. It is give and take.

It is compromise. The biggest lesson is that this country is big enough to fit all of us despite our differences; accommodative enough to house all of us in our diversity.

And as you also know, Nyanza is home to mouthwatering fish. We can therefore take ‘omena-ugali-mursik’ when we chose to. The challenge then is: can we the opposition translate our good talk into good deeds? YES, WE SHOULD.

— The writer is the MP for Uriri constituency in Migori County