Honouring undeserving people harms letter and spirit of Constitution

There has been much hype about whether some people nominated for national honours truly merit it, given their questionable reputation with clouds of dishonour hanging and indeed hovering over their heads.

In a world where politics defines, shapes and influences nearly all action, policy and programme of governance, it goes without saying that the original sanctity and value of the award of national honour have been desecrated by politicians to promote their political hegemony.  

In its unadulterated form as envisioned by the framers of the Constitution, national honours are to be conferred on people who have distinguished themselves in their outstanding contribution to national development, nation building, transformation of society, exemplary conduct and the promotion of national values, among many other grounds.

The ultimate goal of national honour is to present the recipients as role models to the nation and to inspire citizens to emulate the values espoused by the grounds on which the country bestows the awards on recipients. The conferment reaffirms national values enshrined in the Constitution’s Chapter Six on leadership and integrity.

Undoubtedly, conferring the morally guarded national honours on undeserving people harms the letter and spirit of the Constitution and sends the wrong message to citizens – it does not matter what you do! If it does not matter what people do, then people are empowered and emboldened to uphold no values and to pride themselves in vices so long as it serves their interests.

Besides organising and managing the affairs of the nation, governance has a key moral role of upholding and promoting values that enhance the spirit and letter of the national constitution – whether this be unity, integrity, leadership, patriotism or selflessness. There are many Kenyans who have distinguished themselves in various ways and truly merit some national recognition.

Such distinguished Kenyans may not get the national honour unless they are politically connected. The politicisation of national honours surgically undermines the positive impact it was meant to have on nation-building and in promoting national and human values. The ultimate multiplier impact of this trajectory is the making of a society that is progressively weakened in all ramifications of its sense and practice of morality.

In some African countries, recipients of national honours are selected from every sector of society, including academia, different professions – law, medicine, engineering, etc, religious categories, political leadership, the media, traditional chieftaincy and defence, among many others. Spreading out the net of national honour to cover largely every sector of society makes a fundamental statement – whatever you do, you contribute to our national development.

For instance, as a Catholic Missionary Priest serving in Kenya for many years, I serve at the grassroots, touching and transforming lives and communities on the fringes of society. Many missionaries have served in various parts of Kenya for over 60 years of their missionary life. They have built churches, schools and hospitals. They have drilled boreholes to provide water for communities. They have sponsored indigent students through their education. They have empowered widows to fend for themselves. Missionaries and, indeed, the clergy and other religious leaders have made a modest contribution to nation-building.

Beyond the material impacts of the service of religious leaders, they journey with a vast majority of citizens and address them practically every week. They are in the business of making good and responsible citizens who, in turn, become law-abiding citizens and hence play their part in nation-building. Although for the glory of God and the well-being of people, not worldly recognition, conferring national honours on distinguished religious leaders would help to entrench religious values in society.

When national honours are conferred on people who truly make a positive difference in society, the government strengthens the moral fabric of the nation. But when political affiliation or interest is the ground for selecting recipients – irrespective of their cloudy reputation, the government makes a mess of the very constitution they all swore to uphold and defend.