The optimism in Kenya after elections was palpable . The hustler nation had taken the day and good times were on the horizon . The dragon of dynasty had been slain and the Mwanainchi would at last own the Inchi .
An indication that all was not right in paradise began when the cabinet was set up and the voting robots realized that there was no Mama Mboga and the Boda boda rider on the table , but a bunch of inept political acolytes was invited .
That did not diminish their optimism since their man on the driving seat had promised them a raft of goodies that was going to transform Kenya into a highincome country where unemployment and poverty would be a ghost of the past .
What followed was an orchestrated charade of lies which began by declaring that the new administration had inherited a looted country and empty coffers . A lie that they spun into a national discourse to pass the buck for non-performance .
While Kenyans were diverted into venting their anger at the imaginary bogeyman of the past administration , of which the current president was a member , the cost of living skyrocketed as more Kenyans dropped below the poverty line .
The promises that had formed the basis of the election victory started to unravel as simply a raft of callous lies told to achieve victory . A menu of punitive taxes was unleashed on Kenyans who were now reeling from the deception .
When Baba latched on the political mood and launched his characteristic ‘ peaceful ’ demos to protest the high cost of living , the same hustlers who had denied him victory at the polls were now his soldiers on the street .
That corporate sage that quipped that Kenyans are a peculiar people had an apt marketing insight into the behavior of Kenyans which we are now realizing is actually a national psyche . Kenyan ’ s behavior during elections defies reason .
The exuberant cheering that had been witnessed at the current administration ’ s campaign trail had almost overnight turned into jeering and booing as their liberator in shining amour had morphed into an arrogant tax oppressor .
2023 was the anno horribilis for Kenyans as they watched all their dreams wash away in a sea of lies . But as is also characteristic of Kenyans , when pushed to the wall , they resort to humor as the president earned the moniker Zakayo , resolving to wait for him to climb down .
2024 is however going to be a good year for Kenyans for a reason that is uniquely Kenyan . Kenyans started the year with absolutely no expectations from the jokers in government . Even a ten cents reduction in the price of anything is amazing for a low performing team .
The president is demonstrating all the signs of creating a dynasty and a tribal oligarchy while astutely positioning himself to become a despot by manipulative control of all the arms of a supposedly democratic government .
This in itself could earn Kenya the accolade of being the naivest country in Africa . This was the country that was able to transform our unofficial country slogan ,
‘ hakuna matata ’ into ‘ hakuna matatu ’ after 2007 and now into ‘ mambo ni matatu ’ without blinking .
That corporate sage that quipped that Kenyans are a peculiar people had an apt marketing insight into the behavior of Kenyans which we are now realizing is actually a national psyche . Kenyan ’ s behavior during elections defies reason .
The challenge is how does one extricate Kenyans from the self-sabotage behavior that keeps them in a cycle of poverty . No Kenyan wishes to be acclaimed as a citizen of the most resilient country in the world just because they tolerate incompetent leaders .
Even though Kenyans are usually described as a hard-working and a creative lot , development will remain an illusion for Kenyans so long as they periodically vote into office conmen and thugs while expecting to get to Canaan .
The reason that the constitution gives you a five-year voting cycle is to allow you a chance to periodically correct your past mistakes . To vote back into office the same people responsible for your current pain is highly irrational . A better future starts with your voting choice !