THE EATING CLUB: OUR BIGGEST POLITICAL PROBLEM IS NOT LEADERSHIP, IT IS CITIZENRY GREED.

I may not be very old, but I am certainly not very young when it comes to Kenyan political theatrics. Over the years, I have seen political analysts, political lawyers and, more recently, political bloggers and influencers come and go. But one thing has always remained constant: the majority of them are never genuinely committed to the causes they loudly champion. This applies both to those defending the ruling class and those criticising the ruling regimes. And this trend cuts across all levels of government, from the Executive to Parliament and the county governments. Most of these people are self-seekers who use their influence to gain from the system. The big fish make the loudest noise, attacking their targets with one eye fixed on favours from either side of the political divide. They will oppose everything their perceived target does, whether good or bad. They will poke holes in every decision and every policy until the day they are invited to the table of kings to dine. Once that invitation comes, the tone changes. Suddenly, they begin singing praises of the very people they were fighting against. The same leaders they branded incompetent become visionaries. The same systems they condemned become models of good governance. These are the people who eventually become government tenderpreneurs, political brokers, consultants or occupants of state and county offices. The bloggers, on their part, are mostly hungry hyenas roaming around looking for handouts or menial jobs as defenders of the system. Once they are assimilated into the "eating club," the noise ceases. In its place emerges a praise-and-worship choir dedicated to defending everything the system does. The village hooligans and ground influencers are no better either. They create chaos so that they can be noticed. For them, recognition as "wao ndio kusema kwa ground" is often enough because it guarantees occasional handouts and favours. They are usually among the first beneficiaries of bursaries, government jobs (both county and national) and other opportunities that come with proximity to power. Some are rewarded with spaces to put up illegal structures, protection from enforcement officers, or other forms of preferential treatment. That is how low our politics has sunk. And that is why it will be very difficult to change poor leadership in this country. As a nation, we still have a very long way to go before we liberate ourselves from the culture of selfish individual interests taking precedence over collective gains. We also need to free ourselves from the mentality of dependency syndrome that makes many people view politicians as benefactors rather than public servants. Until then, many of those who appear to be fighting for the people will continue doing so only until they secure a seat at the dining table. Once they start eating, the struggle mysteriously comes to an end. Ni hayo tu kwa sasa. ~ Jaymo Wa Thika CEO, Thika Town Today - 3T | 3T TV