UNBIASED OPINION: IS MY LEADER, MY CHOICE WHEN MAJORITY CANDIDATES ARE INVOLVED IN CRIMES OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES
Stephen N. KINUTHIA
By Stephen N. KINUTHIA (MBA/MSc)
Date: Sunday, 24 April 2022
Worth Noting:
- In Kenya, criminal politicians are fielded because their wealth appeals to political parties, and elected because voters see criminality and lavish life as sign of their credibility to “get things done”.
- Elections in Kenya area “Do or Die affair” for some individuals. Wining is a guarantee to get rich in a fortnight, you are entrusted with a Bank Blank Check and ATM debit card and PIN associated with it to plunder public funds at will – Greenlight to steal public money.
- The current elected leaders are using public funds and resources to campaign, bribing “Wanjiku” with funds which were meant for development and improvement of service delivery, thus making it difficult for new comers or honest “clear” aspirants to sell their Agenda / Manifesto.
Integrity remains one of the top Leadership attributes and therefore, we MUST reject leaders who fail to meet integrity and ethical leadership requirements.
What is ethical leadership?
Ethical leadership must be a conscious decision. Ethical leadership means that individuals behave according to a set of principles and values that are recognized by the majority as a sound basis for the common good. These include integrity, respect, trust, fairness, transparency, and honesty.
We elect people to represent our interests, not their individual personal interests or the interests of their party machinery. Our taxes pay the wages of our elected representatives and contribute, in part, to the bank accounts of political parties.
We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced; individuals with clean records are intimidated not join the electoral fray so that stupid / idiots people “Tugege” won’t be offended when taking over public office to steal. As a result, the bad equilibrium perpetuates itself; politicians with questionable records and idiots are attracted to office while so-called “clean” candidates exit.
In Kenya, criminal politicians are fielded because their wealth appeals to political parties, and elected because voters see criminality and lavish life as sign of their credibility to “get things done”.
It true that politicians in Kenya live extremely lavish life compared to leaders in other countries – it’s a fact! That is the contrast between the ridiculously luxurious lifestyles of elite politicians, their cocoons and the reality on the ground. It is crumbs for the ordinary people “Wanjiku” and pudding and pie for those within the corridors of power and their families.
Yes, we continue to witness the immoral lifestyles of well-cocooned politicians, the tenderpreneurs and their families, Graft lords “Cartels” who have infiltrated public procurement process, public agencies; and mastered art stealing Taxpayers money by supplying air and/or stealing from Covid-19 money. While many other nations are progressing with transparency, accountability and meritocracy in government and public office appointments, “thus compromising the better Public Sector Performance”, in Kenya are stuck in blinkers that allow politicians to plunder the wealth of our nation to feed their lavish lifestyles – at home and overseas.
Majority Kenya politicians are known crooks. This may be a cynical low and middle-class complaint, but it is also an empirical fact that more and more individuals with criminal records are being elected as MCAs, MPs, Women Representatives, Senators, and Governors than ever before. The Audit reports from the Auditor General, the EACC, the DPP and the DCI has revealed that majority elected leaders or aspirants in the coming general elections have pending criminal records or have serious criminal cases of all shapes and sizes filed against them, that include and not limited murder, money laundering, Drugs trafficking, corruption “bribery, fraud etc.…”, stealing from public coffer, embezzlement or misappropriation of public funds, abuse of office, nepotism and crimes against women etc…
The Future of Kenya’s Democracy is hanging in the balance
We are experiencing a season when the outgoing elected leaders, who have nothing to show in terms of development for the last five years, individuals who are rejected by “Wanjiku”, others with criminal records or questionable integrity are hooping from one party to another. Some gets direct nominations due to the depth of their pockets. Politicians who have been insulting His Excellency the President Uhuru Kenyatta and the first family all through, issuing scathing rebuke of President Uhuru style of governance, bastardizing the presidency and demeaning his government, others using very derogatory language against the Rt. Hon Raila Odinga are now welcomed on a Red carpet to join Azimio, One Kenya Alliance, ODM and Jubilee. Those who had publicly called, branded the Deputy President William Ruto as a “Thief, in Fertilizer, Maize and Dams scandals, for Land grabbing” etc. are now welcomed like heroes in UDA and Kenya Kwanza etc… This, in turn, is starting to negatively affect people’s belief and trust in the political system in the country.. Where are the MORAL values here?
I was a victim during the shambolic Jubilee Nominations in 2017, and therefore lost confidence in the ability of political parties to conduct free and fair nominations. As an honest and incorruptible patriotic citizen, I refuse to compete on the same ticket, in the same party with individuals who have been insulting the President, disrespecting the Government of the Republic of Kenya, or to negotiate position sharing with individuals who have betrayed me, individuals who have plundered County, CDF, Youth, Women, PWDs, Elderly and Ward funds. It’s evil to cheat the electorates – I feel like I don’t fit in either political formation, I better stand-alone…
Kenya political parties lack clear ideologies, fail to articulate distinctive and coherent policy proposals, have weak structures that remain dormant outside election campaign periods, have narrow and/or shifting support bases that are defined by personal, regional or ethnic ties, and struggle to conduct cohesive action in the National and Counties Assemblies.
Elections in Kenya area “Do or Die affair” for some individuals. Wining is a guarantee to get rich in a fortnight, you are entrusted with a Bank Blank Check and ATM debit card and PIN associated with it to plunder public funds at will – Greenlight to steal public money. The current elected leaders are using public funds and resources to campaign, bribing “Wanjiku” with funds which were meant for development and improvement of service delivery, thus making it difficult for new comers or honest “clear” aspirants to sell their Agenda / Manifesto.
Why do parties give direct tickets to those with criminal records?
A critical determining factor is “The Big Money, Dark Money, and Behind the Big Lie!” Over the years, elections in Kenya have grown increasingly expensive while political parties have grown weaker. Political parties, majority “briefcase” parties in Kenya’s political arena are desperate for candidates with deep pockets who can not only finance their own campaigns, but can also pay parties for the privilege of running, or subsidise other candidates. Candidates with criminal records are disproportionately wealthy, so they have both the means to contest elections, as well as the incentives. While securing elected office does not grant them formal immunity, it does give them a certain degree of protection while opening up a new set of money-making opportunities. Unfortunately, many criminals, crooks and idiots will be elected on 9th August 2022.
Faced with all these ugly truths, our values must take priority over other interests.
Our democracy is fundamentally at stake – Let’s save it!
The breach of trust is poisoning our democracy. People’s opinions of their elected representatives are transforming from healthy scepticism into harsh cynicism. Unless we can find a way to break the potentially poisonous circle of mistrust, public disdain will escalate and ultimately infect the health of the institutions that form the foundation and framework of our democracy.
To ensure that we don’t reach a point where unethical, even illegal, means are used to achieve ends that benefit the few and disadvantage the many, Kenyans MUST vote out clueless, visionless, orderless, planless, rudderless and idealess politicians regardless of their political affiliation or “Thuraku Thuaku” euphoria.
“Wanjiku” united on need for open and honest government
Kenya remains a country deeply divided into different ethnic communities, but all suffer from the common history of long standing economic mismanagement and chronic political institutionalized corruption of both colonial and post-independence governments – You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. However, I would venture to guess that majority of Kenyans love our Nation, a Peaceful Nation. I feel confident that any poll that asked the electorate, “Do you want the government you elect to be open and honest with the people they represent, to be transparent in their actions and accountable for them?”, would receive an overwhelming “YES” response.
Elected leaders and the governments “National and County” they form need to remember that people do not vote them into office to do what is in their personal or political parties’ interests. They are our elected representatives and therefore their decisions must align with the public good. But this is not happening to the degree it should in Kenya at all levels.
To trust someone, you must do more than believe him. You must believe in him. You must believe that he is essentially truthful. Vote wisely – Vote Out the incompetent, corrupt and selfish leaders!
“The best way to do is to be.” – Lao Tzu
Stephen N. KINUTHIA (MBA/MSc)
Email: snkinuthia@gmail.com
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