The
second decade of the twenty-first century is turning out to be filled
with surprises galore. It began with the inauguration of the Second
Republic by way of the promulgation of a new constitution that has
become a lightning rod between Kenyan conservatives and everyone else.
But yesterday's announcement that media houses were going to organise a
series of presidential debates, in order to "present their ideas and
engage voters", sent a ripple of excitement up and down my spine.
"Finally," I thought, "I am about to witness history being made."
Upon reflection, though, initial excitement is misplaced. The level of political discourse, as is being pointed out by diverse voices such as that of the Chief Justice in this month's The Nairobi Law Monthly (Universities must reclaim their right in opinion shaping, The Nairobi Law Monthly, October 3012), is disappointing. David Matende,writing in the same issue of the magazine, contends that not even the media has escaped this malaise: "The incestuous relationship between journalists and politicians is so deep that actually some journalists have become 'insiders' in the various political camps and are in fact treated as if they were part of the entourage" he states in his essay, Media a captive of the political class.
It will be interesting to see whether the men and women seeking to succeed Mwai Kibaki have the capacity to rise above mere rhetoric if and when they debate one another "on the issues". NTV has been televising The Governors' Debates and to a large extent it has only served to introduce Kenyans to a class of politicians, businessmen and ex-civil servants gunning for gubernatorial positions rather than educate us on how they intend to make a success of their counties or devolution. Linus Kaikai, the moderator of these debates, has proven to be singularly inept at teasing out crucial information voters require to effectively vet the men and women seeking to head county governments in 2013 or the challenges we are all likely to face in the implementation of devolution countrywide.
So far, politics in Kenya has revolved around certain basic issues, none of them having anything to do with solving the problems Kenyans face or improving their quality of life. In a nation with conflicting priorities like Kenya, politics is supposed to be the oil that ensures that the machinery of government does not grind to a halt, lubricating the process top ensure that basic services are delivered to Kenyans in an equitable manner and that resources are spent as prioritised in an accountably transparent manner. Instead, politics is a weapon, to be employed against one ethnic community by another, to promote the interests of an elite few over the peasant majority, and to rob the peoples of Kenya blind without remorse. Politics has been reduced to a simple calculus: the primary justification for getting elected is so that one can keep getting re-elected. It is therefore difficult to imagine that, save for the views of one or two of the presidential candidates, the debates will prove illuminating or informative. They will certainly be entertaining, but they will not serve the interests of Kenyans.
Upon reflection, though, initial excitement is misplaced. The level of political discourse, as is being pointed out by diverse voices such as that of the Chief Justice in this month's The Nairobi Law Monthly (Universities must reclaim their right in opinion shaping, The Nairobi Law Monthly, October 3012), is disappointing. David Matende,writing in the same issue of the magazine, contends that not even the media has escaped this malaise: "The incestuous relationship between journalists and politicians is so deep that actually some journalists have become 'insiders' in the various political camps and are in fact treated as if they were part of the entourage" he states in his essay, Media a captive of the political class.
It will be interesting to see whether the men and women seeking to succeed Mwai Kibaki have the capacity to rise above mere rhetoric if and when they debate one another "on the issues". NTV has been televising The Governors' Debates and to a large extent it has only served to introduce Kenyans to a class of politicians, businessmen and ex-civil servants gunning for gubernatorial positions rather than educate us on how they intend to make a success of their counties or devolution. Linus Kaikai, the moderator of these debates, has proven to be singularly inept at teasing out crucial information voters require to effectively vet the men and women seeking to head county governments in 2013 or the challenges we are all likely to face in the implementation of devolution countrywide.
So far, politics in Kenya has revolved around certain basic issues, none of them having anything to do with solving the problems Kenyans face or improving their quality of life. In a nation with conflicting priorities like Kenya, politics is supposed to be the oil that ensures that the machinery of government does not grind to a halt, lubricating the process top ensure that basic services are delivered to Kenyans in an equitable manner and that resources are spent as prioritised in an accountably transparent manner. Instead, politics is a weapon, to be employed against one ethnic community by another, to promote the interests of an elite few over the peasant majority, and to rob the peoples of Kenya blind without remorse. Politics has been reduced to a simple calculus: the primary justification for getting elected is so that one can keep getting re-elected. It is therefore difficult to imagine that, save for the views of one or two of the presidential candidates, the debates will prove illuminating or informative. They will certainly be entertaining, but they will not serve the interests of Kenyans.
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