I’ve always been amused by the fact that picketing, demonstrations and protests are all legal activities by the holy document that’s the constitution in nearly all countries in the world; yet very few countries tolerate this right guaranteed in the constitution. Our own constitution provides for the same, albeit shakily, considering certain bits of the Constitution can be invoked to declare such gatherings illegal. Having said that, even countries where demos are firmly anchored in law find problems with their effectiveness. Part of the problem, I reckon, is technology. Hold on, I’ll explain in a moment. One of the main reasons why public agitation and demonstrations hardly work is because people in certain positions of influence are never involved. There are many cases where demonstrations are organized by the elite but implemented by the ordinary folks, and these often never amount to much. Now, why do I think technology is part of the problem? Take most of the demonstrations in the recent past. They barely manage “serious” crowds, yet on Twitter and Facebook the same ideas being passed through these demos remain very strong. I wouldn’t want to ruffle feathers unnecessarily here at home, especially when I can make the same point with a reference “abroad”, so let’s take Kenya as an example. But I am also picking Kenya because they always seem to be demonstrating about something at any given time. Kenyatta National Hospital, their Muhimbili, was accused of very grievous crimes. Some of the staff are alleged to have been raping patients. If that’s not the kind stuff that should drop anybody’s jaw in bewilderment, I do not know what is! And my mouth was literally agape when I heard that so I checked online for the story and was surprised by the number of Kenyans on social media disgusted and engaging with the #KNHRot hashtag. I was thoroughly impressed until I went on YouTube and saw a clip of those who were demonstrating. It was barely a fraction of those tweeting away. A few days later; or should I say a few days ago, the Kenyan government shut down the main media houses that command the biggest market share over airing of the de facto opposition leader Raila Odinga’s oath. I bring up this case because it received a lot of attention in the country and the region and spurred much needed debates on media freedom. The interesting thing however is that, like in the KNH protest, only a few people participated compared to the voices that were against the shutdown online. And that brings me to my point on technology as a stumbling block. Those who have enough awareness to care about such violations draw their satisfaction in being retweeted, hence they go no further than play keyboard activists, or “slacktivists”, if you will. In my view social media has provided an opportunity for rage but killed the practicability of manifesting that outrage in the form of a proper demonstration that can prick the conscience of a government going rogue. It’s like every week there’s a new hashtag for something that people need to get worked up about, and before they can digest what it means and figure out a pipeline, there’s another hashtag reminding them of another thing to be angry at. Protests and demos that have gone to address corporate greed or shake up regimes were started by ordinary men, but picked up, not because of a hashtag, but the joining of forces by all citizens regardless of class and social status. My point is, until the people that matter get enraged enough to act, demos and picketing will remain a pastime that threaten nobody. Until the middle class in Tanzania are aroused enough to get off their comfort zones and demand better; it doesn’t matter how much consumer groups or human rights groups shout themselves hoarse, because there will be nothing new under the sun. In case I run the risk of being misinterpreted as instigating anything, I hope my closing sentence saves the day. A peaceful public display of dissatisfaction can make a government that’s doing good do better.
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