Women are the ones holding Kenya together

Second, it is glaringly clear that some regions and peoples have been deliberately discriminated against in development since Independence, which undermines their sense of nationhood and consolidates their sense of exclusion. This neglect is then in turn used as a political weapon.

Third, security is in crisis. The police seem to have had their resources reduced to the point where morale is disastrously low.

The spread of a group like Mungiki is caused by a combination of unemployment and this security gap — especially in the slums of our cities that are among the fastest growing in the world.

For me, it is also an issue that the middle classes, especially in Nairobi and the Diaspora, have yielded some of the most virulent and articulate ethnic chauvinists, including some top church leaders, businessmen and key figures in the security services and media sector.

So, you are saying we are on a one-way trip to disaster?

The first thing to realise, as a wise man in the Rift Valley told me, is that facts can imprison you.

The facts are clear and painful — we have stolen from each other, lied to each other, maimed and killed each other.

To grapple with these facts, commissions and taskforces have been established.

But these are no substitute for leadership, and in an atmosphere poisoned with mistrust these efforts will achieve less than is needed for a peaceful and prosperous future.

But while facts can imprison you in an angry, bitter and dark place, the truth can set you free, and the truth is that Kenyans of all tribes, races, denominations and political persuasions have to live with each other.

Dealing with land issues at the Coast and in the Rift Valley is important.

Constitutional reform and creation of an independent electoral commission are key as well.

After this we need to accept that some regions and communities have been left behind in terms of development.

Affirmative action is a must both in terms of production and distribution.

Given the threats to your life in the past, do you feel secure doing this type of travel – especially in Central, given that there are those who consider you a “traitor to the tribe”?