Our politics is not good for development
Nasa supporters in Kibra on their way to Uhuru Park yesterday ahead of the ‘swearing in’ ceremony of the National Super Alliance leader Raila Odinga as the people’s president. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- We are still at it with the elected lot trying to settle down to work and another group — whose candidate refused to participate in the repeat bout — actually going on to “swear him in”.
- My biggest worry is that in the middle of all this confusion about politics, we may forget significant matters which, if ordinary Kenyans gave attention to the rest of the country can move on.
One would have thought the season of hard politics ended with the “double” elections last year. Obviously, we Kenyans have a totally different style. We are still at it with the elected lot trying to settle down to work and another group — whose candidate refused to participate in the repeat bout — actually going on to “swear him in”.
Out of that scenario, key media houses have been switched off by the State, the lawyer who was at the centre of the “swearing-in” event has been arrested and the unity of the political leaders of that political side is now in question. All Kenyans are saying all manner of things depending on which side of the political divide — or shall we say tribe — one is.
In my honest view, this pandemonium of political bravado that includes ignoring the government established by law on the part of the presumed “aggrieved” party on one hand and the strong arm strategy of the legally established government of the day of switching off media channels thus disempowering citizens is not good for this country.
POLITICAL CULTURE
Our political culture has to be re-examined honestly and reviewed or else this country will not get to where our founding fathers thought we would get: A nation that is free of ignorance and poverty with the ability to efficiently manage the health issues of its people.
My biggest worry is that in the middle of all this confusion about politics, which is largely selfish anyway, we may forget significant matters which, if ordinary Kenyans gave attention to, politicians can go on about their business — confused or not — and the rest of the country can move on.
I saw something in the media that attracted my attention the other day. When I was growing up in the 60s there was a football icon by the name Joe Kandenge.
MANCHESTER UNITED
Whenever there was a major match at the city stadium and Leonard Mambo Mbotela or Mohamed Juma Njuguna were announcing the match it was all “Kadenge na mpira…” and so on.
Joe Kadenge is now in his 80s. Somebody I understand is doing a documentary on him and part of it is to take the good old man to watch a match between Manchester United and some other team in the UK. The good man is obviously excited about the prospect. Could it not have been us doing that documentary? When we do too much unnecessary politics we fail to focus on critical matters that are about our people.
The writer is dean of students at the University of Nairobi [email protected]
