Happy New Year, dear reader.
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| In awe of politician's shallow talks |
Back in 2004, I’d just joined high school and this almost
unknown guy by the name of Barrack was making his name heard over our airwaves
as the son of a Kenyan immigrant to the United States and who was seeking to be
the Senate representative for the state of Illinois. Like a snow ball picks speed and increases in
size, so did his popularity grow. Even a now extinct beer brand, ‘Senator’ was
christened to ‘Obama’. We all know how history played itself out, if you do
not, you might want to check who’s currently the most powerful individual in
the world.
At that time, The Standard newspaper publication on Sundays
had a pull out called Society and in which one caricaturist aptly drew a
comparison of political campaign styles of Kenya and the U.S of A. Sleeves
folded, a keen crowd and smiling faces portrayed Obama while a pot-bellied guy
was addressing a rather rowdy crowd to exemplify the typical Kenyan
counterpart. Perhaps the greatest contrast laid in the words being uttered.
Michelle’s dad was speaking of democracy, healthcare and such matters of
sobriety. The other dude was literally talking of nothing sensible but quite
evoking with a guy in the crowd wondering out loud when a teargas canister will
be lobbed to disperse the crowd, or a rival crowd shows up armed with stones
and machetes.
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| Violence that killed 1,300 people |
9 years later and a lot has happened in Kenya’s political
scene. The hate speeches in campaign rallies have gone down; lest one finds
themselves live on CNN, al-Jazeera et al facing international crimes. But I
wonder if the hearts of the ruling class have been transformed or it is fear
thet they are operating from. One of the
men I look up to, a guy by the name of Anyangu Yohana once said ‘Freedom is not
worth having if it doesn’t include the freedom to make mistakes’ and I concur
with him. Listening to political banter makes one realize that nothing much has
changed in accordance to our attitudes. Sadly, tribalism seems to be so deeply
rooted, not even the death of 1,300 people after the controversial last general
election seems to have made us sober up a bit as Kenyans.
Looking at the six almost ten presidential aspirants,
I personally see no better or ‘Obamasque’ one among them like Peter Kenneth.
Not only with his cultured mannerisms, coherence of speech and a good track
record with the people he has represented before, but even in his demeanour and
sound policies he’d like to implemented if he was elected the CEO of this great
nation. Sadly, we all know he’ll not even be among the top three for the
majority will vote for ‘our people’. Truth be told, that guy was spot on in
that cartoon publication in ’04. We seem to be a nation dazzled and almost held
in a trance by the political heavyweights. It’s like when they hold a
microphone, they instantly become entertainers who enchant us with their
shallow speeches, funny dancing styles and belittling the other aspirans. This
needs to stop. Now.
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| The caption says it all! |
I have a theory. Hearing of so many people who use their
money to fund their campaigns then lose out and eventually get sick, miserable
and deep in debts, I wonder what if corruption is a never ending cycle due to
such circumstances. I mean, upon gaining a political seat after spending your
millions that you’d previously worked hard for, you’d want to get it back,
right? Yet the buck stops with us, as former US president Truman put it aptly. We are the voters. We are the people who
determine which fellas we want. We employ them. We are the bosses.
Unfortunately, it’s the other way round it seems. Branded helicopters hover
over and about our skies as they seek our votes but the same effort is rarely
seen when the electorate are in trouble like famine, floods and war.
It’s approximately a month to the forthcoming general
elections. I see no much change according to how things seem to be spiraling to
another imminent disaster like we had five years ago. It seems like a 50-50
race of two men but referred to as horses now. Sadly, the race seems to be
based not on differing policies as the ideal situation would call for but
rather political clamour for leverage. As you decide to cast your ballot,
reflect deeply. And as many of us already have our minds made up, let us
resolve that as close as the election will be, we’ll accept the outcome. At the
end of the day, we are a democratic nation.
I remain, Njabia the 3rd.
