Letter from Kenya #1
My dear Nsenga,
I think I believe in miracles after all. Through LinkedIn, I was recently contacted by a friend from my younger years in the city of John Calvin. Ever since I posted a small photo of myself as a habitual reader of The East African, I’ve been reconnecting with fellow former students of the National University of Rwanda and the military academy in Kilarge, along with friends from all over. And now I’ve just learned that you did not die in Goma! I thought you were no longer with us. I’m glad to hear that you are safe and sound in Philadelphia. Now it’s my turn to ask you to document the habits and customs of another part of the world—just like you asked me to during my travels between the Atlantic and the Ural Mountains, remember? As for your indiscreet questions about our project of abolishing the military in our country, let me give them some thought. I’ll answer next time.
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Letter from Kenya #2
My dear Nsenga,
As I alluded to in my previous letter, we’re very busy back home here in Africa—busy contemplating revolution. Soon the Popular Movement of the Revolution in Rwanda, of which I am the founding president, will issue our manifesto. It wasn’t easy to convince my comrades to adopt a name that recalls the heyday of Mobutism. We’ve already sent young Hercule Muhozi to America as our representative; I will try to put him in touch with you. I told him to visit Philadelphia and the state of Alaska. I’ll explain why later. I’d like to ask you to assist him once he’s over there.
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Letter from Kenya #3
My dear Nsenga,
Thank you for letting me know that Muhozi has arrived in Philadelphia. I have since heard from him as well. I hope you’ll be able to work well together, without drawing too much attention to yourselves. As soon as you return from Alaska, we ask that you write a draft of the constitution for the Rwanda of tomorrow, a constitution worthy of an ideal polity. Take inspiration above all from the 111 articles of the first constitution of the Republic of Rwanda, drafted and adopted in Kigali by the constitutional assembly in the name of the Rwandan people on the twenty-fourth day of the month of November in the year 1962, the year of independence. Remember, the year of independence… Take inspiration from the state constitution of Alaska, a succinct, general document with only fifteen articles. Also take inspiration from the American concept of freedom of choice, and the way economic rationality is integrated into their constitution and even its interpretation. We assure you that, after the document has been reviewed by specialized commissions and presented to the central committee of the Popular Movement of the Revolution, we will return it to you. We will distribute copies to our network of contacts first, before making it widely available next year, when we are in Kigali. Good luck and hang in there. Everything falls apart in the end, and this bloodthirsty, lying regime will soon collapse. The Leviathan will devour itself; it is surely in its final days. We will just have to wait to see what happens.
Translated by Louis Greenwood Lüthi
