‘‘ Lack of trust brings desperation and hence emergence of healing gospels , witch-doctors-with weird names , and other self-made herbalists . Most developed countries don ’ t have these dramas because they have formal ways of evaluating new information and citizens trust bodies mandated to do that ’’
does not matter the correctness because everyone has their own . It worries when people mix the two .
A few years ago , in the heat of the Mau eviction , a politician stood in front of a crowd and told them that the rain comes from the ‘ heavens ’ above and not from trees .
Rain comes from above . Fact . But we all know the scientific connection between the rain and trees . The matter in issue was not where the rains falls from , but the importance of trees in causing the rain . The politician lied . Those in that crowd who were not well grounded with facts must have gone home confused . Maybe they still are .
Many other Kenyans pick views from various unverified social sources and overtime develop a bank of incorrect information .
While getting a shave at a local barber shop , a man was telling a group of guys about his friend who was suffering pain from a wound that just developed on his leg . He told them the wound was as a result of a rare tuberculosis that incubated for several months in the poor guys ’ body , slowly eating him away , and suddenly burst out as a wound from his leg . Really ?
Just like in political and social spheres , mis-information is common in Marketing . Customers and consumers alike collect information from various sources , some half correct and others absolute trash . Each salesman who appears has his or her own story . Just like the politicians , they mind their interest first .
How do customers ever get to know the truth about quality , efficacy , and efficiency ? Who is the custodian of the truth , the true North ? Customers have been taken for a ride , customers have been taken to cleaners . They don ’ t trust anyone any more .
Animal feeds industry , for example , is awash with mistrust . Many studies in this sector finds that Kenyan farmers do not trust feeds manufacturers . They claim the country lacks quality feeds and companies are left at liberty to produce whatever they please .
Many back street companies are common due to low entry barriers . Counterfeits are usual and hard to eliminate . Regulatory bodies and standard enforces are not effective . In such an industry , customers develop their own methods of determining quality .
The protests above manifest lack of trust by citizens in bodies meant to act in their best interest . In the SGR case , we ought to have trusted that Ministries and bodies concerned must have considered all viable options and picked this one as the best , based on circumstances . The same should also have happened with the Murang ’ a tunnel issue .
But we do not trust them that way . On the commercial side , the consumers need to trust that the companies have their backs . They don ’ t . When did the rain start beating us ?
Trust is earned not sold or forced . Trust must pass when put to test . Building trust takes time . On the political side , we have completely lost trust with our politicians ; we know they seldom act on our behalf . Many times we have tested them and they have miserably failed .
We therefore read in between the lines for the truth . In everything they do , we see their interest not ours . Just like the desperate customer , we have devised our own gauges of truth .
‘‘ Our Kenyan consumers have unique behaviors that sprout from a common ground of mistrust . When a peoples ’ mind becomes the dump site for political , commercial , spiritual , and social mis-information , a hardened resolve of general mistrust emerges ’’
06 MAL 16 / 17 ISSUE