Lunch by politicians is a sickening charade

Let me be candid. The sight of eight legislators on incitement charges singing "bado mapambano" in a Milimani court in Nairobi last Friday smacked of ignorance, arrogance, impunity and utter contempt for the judicial system. A few more days in the cells might have cooled their heels. Instead, upon their release on bond, the eight were transformed from  accused persons to victims – Raila Odinga referring to them as political prisoners – then heroes, celebrities and probably future nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The whole transformation was skilfully choreographed by the political class and facilitated by banal media houses competing to have them appear on the evening news to tell their harrowing tales of ghastly diets and smelly police cells. One could envisage the MPs personal assistants negotiating with the TV stations to get the best deal and longest interview at prime time.

If the Media Owners Association put the nation’s cohesion before profit and profile, they should have given the eight a blackout until the cases are completed in court. Instead they pampered them, giving ample opportunity to persuade Kenyans of their victimhood, innocence and reconciliation in the cells. Soon the same gullible, compromised media were speaking of Damascus experiences, peace caravans and dialogue.

Even lunch with Mr Odinga became a media circus where every bite was captured on film. Not a single mention of the six dead and 60 injured at the hands of Kenyan police during the anti-IEBC demonstrations in Nyanza. No plan either to compensate the businesses destroyed during the same protests. That would have been real reconciliation. But these theatrics are not about Kenyans and their rights but about politicians and their privileges.

We have been here before and the script is well-known. So forgive the scepticism and cynicism. Before the ink is dry on this column the pressure will once again be on the DPP and National Cohesion Commission (NCIC) to drop the charges in the interest of "dialogue, peace and resolution of the IEBC crisis" since the politicians have reconciled and have learned from their "mistakes".

This is just the latest chapter in the impunity chronicles. It is shameful that not a single politician has been convicted for hate speech and yet the majority are at it every other weekend, usually after attending religious services. Just about everyone is tired of the NCIC and the DPP moaning over weak criminal legislation yet they have done sweet nothing to amend the same lame laws. Truth be told, they have not the guts to prosecute the ruling classes and to compensate for their timidity and cowardice they spend their energy harassing anonymous and insignificant bloggers.

Ultimately the country is paying the price for its failure, or rather its total reluctance, to address the horrific crimes committed in the 2007/08 violence. The "mtado" culture is evident from State House to the lowly but not humble MCA. Last week’s events were another frightening reminder of the inability of the nation’s institutions to professionally and clinically address political incitement. Someone said the repentance of a hypocrite is hypocrisy itself. Kamlesh Pattni was the epitome of impunity and hypocrisy. Time will tell if Pastor Paul has eight new disciples.

[email protected]; @GabrielDolan1