The Problem with Kenyan Politics

I want to highlight the one thing that is the bane of our politics.

And it is the fact that the president and his loyalists behave as if he is a king as opposed to being a president.

President is a constitutional and elective office. This means that it is subject to a constitution and the will of the masses that elected him, and of course those other elected leaders. No wonder he swears to defend the constitution when he takes the oath of office.

His office is therefore just like any other constitutional office. That is why his appointments must be vetted by another constitutional and elective office, parliament. And even those can be challenged in another constitutional office, judiciary.

Even the constitution itself is the product of many voices. Many viewpoints, many opinions, many interests uniting to make the one that best represents their varied positions, meaning that each will have to agree on what to cede so that the other is also part of the common constitution.

And a constitutional republic continues in consultation throughout its existence. Each must listen and respect the voice of the other for harmony.

Throwing tantrums because people have refused to attend a meeting he has called (a meeting that I suspect was called to beat them to submission) to the point of kicking people out of their constitutional offices is telling.

It is only a king whose word is law. Yet isn’t it interesting that the queen of England was unable to do anything to a prince who opted out of royalty?

A president who expects all other constitutional offices to bow to his whims is dangerous even to himself.

That is why he can knock people out of their houses (by destroying the houses) in this devastating rain against court orders. That is why he can lock out Nairobi at a whim (without giving any notice). That is why he increases the price of kerosene (the poor man’s fuel) way above diesel to tackle fuel adulteration when the criminals can be dealt with easily. That is why we see courts on the verge of throwing out corruption cases of his ‘enemies’ because a year down the line evidence is wanting. That is why he orders PSVs to reduce their capacity by half without showing them how they will make up for the shortfall in revenues. Yet he orders a curfew without caring to know how people will get home. Then he orders his police force to beat such violators to submission until some are beaten to death.

You see, once you think your word is law, you cease to consult, meaning that you will continue to demonstrate your limited understanding of issues.

For example, why are people being kicked out of their constitutional offices?

The genesis is the breach of a longstanding covenant they had with his deputy and his team when they joined hands in politics, eventually merging their parties. And do not tell me there is no evidence because he even publicly said that they had agreed on each of them serving ten years.

In any case, a come-we-stay arrangement is deemed a marriage in law whether it was formalized or not. So do not yap about who paid who and who betrayed who. A team cannot be one without agreement.

Then he trashes that and enters into another political marriage behind his partner’s back.

And he gets angry when they feel betrayed!

It is like a friend who was living with a woman for some time. I do not know the terms they were living under. Then he decided to perform a church wedding, but with another girl. Would you call that fair? Was the woman justified in feeling betrayed?

But the issue here is that of constitutionality and logic.

Respecting you doesn’t mean I agree with everything you say or do. Only a spoiled child thinks it that way because he otherwise will throw tantrums. I can respect you even as I aggressively disagree with you. Being respected as a president means your office is respected. It has nothing to do with sycophancy. When you use that office badly, not only do you abuse the office, but you cause people to disrespect your person since personal respect is earned. And people who prop you and allow you to behave as such are traitors.

Each of us is here for a season. Then we will leave whether we like it or not.

We fight so that we can leave a legacy of sorts. And that is what the president has been saying.

But should he leave a legacy of arrogance and disloyalty? Does he leave a legacy of being so out of touch with the common man so that he can openly wonder why Kenyans are broke? Will he leave a legacy of someone who disrespects independent thought? Will he leave a legacy of someone who does not care what courts decree?

When will our president stop behaving like a king? When will his inner circle leave those ivory towers to listen to what mwananchi is saying?