TALK OF CAMPAIGNS THE KENYAN STYLE

If someone asked me whether there were any campaigns going on in Kenya, I would have looked at them pitifully and said NO! Personally, I have not seen any election campaigns going on. What I predominantly see is a baby game going on. Something close to kalongo or mchongoano.

Politicians have of course been traversing the country in search of votes. We are experiencing a renewed sense of awareness as fuel guzzlers slowly snake their way into the dungeons of the country in what could be seen as getting in touch with the masses. This indeed is one awesome experience. The common mwanainchi is now getting to know who their leaders really are. There is that form of acquaintance between the leaders and the lead. We are now seeing the magnet that binds us Kenyans onto the politicians we really adore. There is of course that sense of awareness as the citizenry slowly try to associate the images on TV or the voices on radio with the façade they see in rallies every weekend.

If what I have been seeing in Kenya is the true definition of a political campaign then I am wrong on my perspective of what I am trying to shovel into your learned minds. Campaigns as far as I am concerned are the well organized and synchronized self advertisement that are carried by either politicians or priority groups to create awareness or publicize a certain issue or ideology. Therefore I am lost in a desert of thought when the contrary happens with our politicians spreading nothing but nothing in the guise of campaigns.

One thing that hits your mind when a politician begins to speak is that lack of vision in that politician. The other thing is the lack of commitment in whatever ideology he or she is trying to talk you into. Thirdly is that lack of passion in whatever a politician is claiming to do or achieve when given the votes. One hence wonders why these guys are on the streets shouting their hearts out with nothing in to pass across.

I have come to learn the hardest way that our politicians lack that sense of belief, foresight, and knowledge. They are not seductive in talk and have no well aligned thoughts; they are purely public noise makers with no perception and are blind to the true spirit of nation building. I think there is some kind of a manual or recital that these guys have to memorise before going on campaigns. They have been trained as Miguna Miguna puts it in his book, ‘Peeling Back the Mask’; to put everything in the mind so as any question asked is answered. Miguna claims that he had to practically cram the History and Geography books so as to pass: A true reflection of the character Chatur Ramlingam in the movie 3 IDIOTS.

After our politicians have crammed this manual aka recitals they are good to go. The recital has  the following lines:

a)      Bring development to the grassroots

b)      Makes sure there is sound education system, the current one is rotten

c)      Build roads to make the country accessible

d)      Fight poverty

e)      Work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals

f)       Work towards achieving the Vision 2030

g)      So and so is bad because he talks in riddles or has that case at the Hague or claims to have a clean track record and can wipe everyone

h)      So and so is corrupt blah blah blah!

In all these recitals there are no clear cut outs that explains how the developments will hitherto come to fruition. And we believe them.

Somebody asked: Who needs roads anyway? Kenyans are a walking nation. Secondly, building roads that cycle around Nairobi does not make Kenya accessible. Maybe if Nairobi means Kenya! We have been made to have that myopic look at things that even when given a wider scope we become confused. That brings me to the question of the building of the ultimate Kenyan technological city; Konza city.  Why then had it to be on the shoulder of Nairobi city?  

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are not a mirage, if we had proper policies and focused minds they could be achieved yesterday! The same applies to the achievements of the vision 2030. The rest requires the goodwill of Kenyan and a committed citizenry.

As we incline ourselves into claiming that we have leaders, we should rethink our ways. It clearly inundates that Kenya lacks a leader. We are following the wind that has no direction. Ngugi wa Thiong’o in his book, The River Between, using the character Kabonyi say that “Kabonyi did not know where to lead the people to” Kabonyi new he was to be the leader  due to his selfishness but he never new how to lead. The same applies to our politicians, they know that they are to be leaders but they do not know how to be.

What we see gracing our TV stations as political campaigns are nothing more than the whispers Lord Laro sung in his song; “Woman Rule.” Those are just a mere fallacy, ridicule and a true smear to what campaigns are for; awareness.