This scenario will be replicated in all the
constituencies during general election and
we know that those that shall be victorious
will just have bought power rather than
being elected to power. That is why no
party ever bothers to live to its manifestos
which are merely campaign jargon.
One cannot be buying power with the
intention of serving the nation and it is
this self-serving seeking of power that has
undermined meritocracy and why we are
being led by criminals and thugs in the
name of democracy.
If the scum of society are our leaders and
they will always out-number those that
merit to lead then the country is doomed
to stagnation thanks to our version of
democracy that is fueled not by ability but
by cash.
It also means the pursuit of riches will
automatically be the national pastime
as this ensures political power which in
turn ensures more riches as the control of
national and government resources will be
in the hands of political operators.
Another important underlying principle
of democracy is integrity or simply basic
honesty, which is a prerequisite for public
service as it determines that an individual
will do what is in the best interest of the
common good.
That idea in the Kenyan contest is
laughable in that we threw honesty and
personal integrity into the dustbins so
long ago that we probably don’t even
We would like to
posit that the nex-
us of the demo-
cratic debacle in
Kenya is not the
democratic system
but the Kenyan
society that has
undermined the
spirit of democra-
cy by ignoring the
basic tenets of de-
mocracy.
remember what the words mean any
longer as the institutions that guard public
morality have collapsed.
Traditionally three institutions equipped
the young with the necessary moral
compass to navigate through life as a
decent individual. Discipline was instilled
in schools, in the church and in the core
family where good a name was of essence.
Today the school has become the learning
ground for evil and corruption. Exam
cheating has become a national pass time
at all level, parents buying leaked exams
for their children, sex for grades at higher
learning institution, the moral fiber of
schools has collapsed.
The church has become a business and
the infighting in churches has become
more vicious than in the corporate world,
everybody is chasing riches at all costs.
Churches have lost moral authority and
openly undermine societal values by bad
example within.
But it is the collapse of the family unit
that has had a devastating effect on Kenya.
The family unit is out feverishly chasing
riches and living the good life that our
children have been abandoned to maids,
the television and the social media as the
moral reference.
How can democracy work in a setting
where there are no values? The pursuit of
riches breeds corruption in every sphere of
our lives. To operate in this country you
have to pay bribes for lousy service if you
get it at all.
Then we wake up and blame the
government for letting us down and
not providing the basic requirements of
the social contract we assented to. We
conveniently forget that democracy is a
government of the people, by the people,
for the people.
Next time you accept money to vote for a
candidate, just remember you are buying a
nail for the democratic coffin and that you
have actually sold your right to complain
and demand services for the taxes that you
pay.
You cannot undermine democracy
by behaving irresponsibly by electing
unqualified people and somehow expect
quality service from the government.
This applies for all elective positions from
the MCA to the President. The choice is
yours!
If you want a better country, fix it – ‘You
ARE the GOVERNMENT.’