TUKO KADI or TUKO MBALI? Kenya’s Voters Still Shackled by Handouts and Political Manipulation
Whenever I listen to people or read people's online debates and commentaries about important political stances, decisions and policies in Kenya, the more I come to the conclusion that we are still very far from freeing ourselves from political manipulation and mental slavery.
Most people, especially in the Kikuyu nation where I reside, defend or dismiss political decisions depending on where they “eat” ..... aligning themselves with politicians who benefit them directly on an individual level rather than leaders with long-term visions to help the entire community or future generations.
You will witness a person fiercely defending or castigating a politician depending on where or who gives them handouts, jobs (casual or permanent), tenders/contracts or those they believe will give them such opportunities in future.
Others defend politicians because they received bursaries (which is public money by the way), gorogos of maize, beans, unga, tucui (chicks), fertiliser, or seeds to plant.
Then there are those politicians who are a darling of the village idlers because they “burn jeshi kini,” Others allow some selected people to put up vibandas everywhere, even in front of people’s homes or businesses.
Some politicians are liked by societal crooks because they cover for them whenever they engage in illegal activities or break the law.
Such people will fight tooth and nail to defend “their man/woman” so that they can continue surviving on these petty handouts and goonism. These are the same people who shout the loudest in political meetings, hurl unprintable insults at those they perceive to be “their enemies”, fight or maim others, in the name of defending their politicians.
In the long run, we all suffer from poor governance and wanton corruption that benefits only a few individuals.
With such selfish and short-sighted mentality, Kenya still has a long way to go before we can experience mature leadership that translates into tangible, across-the-board development.
Even as we champion the “NIKO KADI” campaign, a lot of sensitisation needs to be done to help our people understand that the decisions we make today have a significant impact on our lives tomorrow. Once we allow ourselves to be controlled by short-term gains, we expose ourselves and future generations to poor services and poverty.
Come 2027, we still have a very large population that will vote based on such poor reasoning, such as “voting someone out to punish them” without even considering better alternatives. Others will vote with their stomachs, as long as they receive handouts. Some will “vote with the crowd,” and driven by political euphoria created by those already benefiting from rogue leadership.
Unfortunately, this might form the majority of the 2027 voters and their stupid decisions on the ballot will definitely decide the winners. It is very unfortunate that, in a democracy, leaders are never elected by merit but by the numbers. How one gets these numbers might not hold any water. The ballot never segregates intelligence from stupidity. Even a mad man's vote will still count, even if to plunge the country into further degradation.
This is why I say that Kenya is still very far from true political freedom. A nation still voting on hunger, not vision. A nation bogged down by short-term gains that keep us trapped in cycles of poor leadership. A nation still far from understanding its own power. We keep electing the same problems, year in, year out... the heavy cost of blind political loyalty.
“TUKO KADI” might just end up being another way of saying “TUKO MBALI KUJIELEWA.”
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