As Kenya approaches the next general elections, political contenders have cast away all pretensions and are engaged in real politik devoid of ethical inhibitions in their attempt to lure voters to their side. Politics is about influence, successful politics is power. Power is fundamentally about economics and money; who has what and what goes where. Whereas the method of translating political influence into power is not entirely legal, the process of exercising political power in a democracy is strictu sensu legal. The absence of legitimacy in such exercise is anarchy. Law is therefore essentially about power, who can order who to do what, when and how. Quest for political power is fundamentally a pursuit to control the lawful instruments for the mobilisation and distribution of state resources.
The results of the last three general elections indicate that victory depends on the ability to harness and galvanise tribal support for a political party rather than economic growth or development. This is an inherently destructive element in our political process. It claws on our sense of nationhood and could eventually lead to an internal collapse of the state. President Kibaki’s attempt to rally Kenyans around work and economic growth has had nominal success. His clarion call for a taifa tekelezi (working nation) has been drowned by a cacophony of noises from the opposition benches in and outside parliament. The voices of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU), the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE), Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI), Kenya Bankers Association (KBA), the Media Owners Association (MOA) and other business and professional associations have been drowned or reduced to a mere whimper in the resultant discourse on who will distribute the “National Cake” after December. It is a distressing situation because members of these associations generate the greatest percentage of state revenues which politicians are craving to control.
Politicians have perfected the art of deceit and use of ethnicity as the focal point for political mobilisation. Promise for economic development and prosperity to the “right” or politically correct communities is their bait for luring citizens to vote in a certain direction. In reality, the contestants pledge to abuse power to benefit a region or section of this country at the expense of others. None is telling citizens is that development and equitable distribution of resources is largely dependent on enhanced production and revenue collection as well as fiscal discipline in the public sector. No contender is challenging the government or providing alternatives for improving revenue collection, fighting corruption, induction of professionalism in the civil service, youth and women ventures, industrial innovation, titivating the stock exchange and infrastructural development in the roads, energy and transport sectors. We hear no talk about technological advancement, regional trade and investment, employment of our excessive human capital or the search for new markets for our agricultural, industrial and jua kali products. These will take a back seat for some time as politicians build coalitions around tribes. It is paradoxical since all the promises for free services in education, health et al are dependent on revenues which Kenyans must generate. The quest for political power should be underpinned by an authentic desire to positively synergise the citizenry towards production before any debate regarding the mobilisation and distribution of state resources amongst them. You cannot share or distribute what you do not have, period. The promotion of a national psyche which harnesses intellectual and emotional energies towards invention and commerce is a better alternative to incessant politics of subsistence.
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