Occasionally the slip of the tongue, nay, slip of the mind reveals what these leaders believe. It is a caste system. Wananchi are Sudras, at the bottom of the food chain!

Collective trauma intertwines with individual trauma whose antidote is truth telling and connection. Genuine and authentic telling is hampered when you have high level VVIPs . If in ordinary lives they are disconnected with mere mortals, what happens in such spaces?

How! I have not listened to the speeches and sermons. I can bet there was a lot of resilience stories, this should not have happened hype… This is so unnecessary, it creates confusion and helplessness. Deal with what has happened which invites compassion and silence.

HOW! For lack of a better word. Politicians cannot be in that space unless they are parents. We have created a political culture of shamelessness and callousness. The prominence we give them changes the dynamic that is necessary for healing.

WHEN! A consideration must be designed and consented by all involved. Here, DNA samples had to be taken to identify the bodies. A gruesome exercise. So, would it not have been more decent to bring the photos of the kids than caskets that did not represent the reality.

WHY! Harm has been caused. Trust has been breached. Friendship and love has been lost. Traumatic memories have been etched. Can normalcy be restored, re-imagined? Yes, but it cannot be forced? Such events talk of the future like it is a plug and play…

WHO! It is the survivors, the parents and school community. A small intimate function away from the glare of political class and media is more meaningful. Politicians come for scores and public display of absurdity. They will even cry louder than the bereaved.

Songs, dance, prayers are all fine but often they are replaced by inanity and hollowness. Words have meaning. Not everyone should use words in such an event. Words are wounding.

All these questions are crucial and should be thought through deeply. WHAT? Clearly it is healing. This comes not as a cathartic moment but a choice of appropriate ritual and symbolism. Genuine, personal and levelheaded.

The primary consideration to such an event is, what are we aiming to achieve? Who are we consoling? Why is this important to the affected community? When should we hold it? Where…. and then how should we execute it?

Grief, pain and communal trauma is what is witnessed here. The planners of this event did not include mental health professionals in the organisation. It is evident.

Why politicians should not be given a mic during a solemn and emotive function. Zilch emotional intelligence!

I wish this was a lie…..

In my early career, I was a deputy rector and discipline master. I banned an exercise students loved called, eating competition. The boys were angry. I stood my ground. Given a chance I would discourage that dance “siaka!” in political platforms Are we creatively bankrupt?