Like a science experiment gone wrong, Riggy G has escaped the political morgue and is now roaming the streets. Some are disturbed and angered by his survival, calling him dangerous. Others marvel at how he managed to survive the lethal injection and are intrigued by his political mutation. To affirm that he is alive and kicking hard, he has forced an early labor—the campaigns for 2027 are on.
Those in power have panicked—this was not how things were meant to go. UDA was supposed to be in total control, but the political heat has melted “The Plan.”
Political formations are coming together faster than even the broad base. There is a rush to get ahead. The early bird is expected to catch the worm, yet while the “worm” is up and wriggling, the “birds” meant to catch it are yet to be born.
The birth of some of these birds is being rushed. The question is: will the beaks of these hastily hatched birds be strong enough to catch the maturing worm? To gain an advantage, they have invoked the same old dangerous vice trinity: tribalism, deception, and bribery.
The two-year mark is past and, ironically, the government in power is proudly declaring that development work has just begun. The sun is now above Kenya’s head—the morning is long gone. The Plan, once widely hyped, is hardly mentioned and has been replaced by the infamous “tumetenga.”
The popular “hustler” narrative has been dropped and replaced by “wangwana.” The famed “bottom-up” strategy has faded, making way for “broad base.” The rallying cry “It is time to work” is being overtaken by “Tutawashinda asubuhi na mapema.”
The system’s response to the growing discontent over broken promises is political gaslighting. Mass deception is escalating to the level of political abuse. Lies are sprayed from the rooftops of guzzlers. What is termed a regional tour is actually a deception tour.
The mantra is: deny criticism, reject the actual truth and replace it with a lie presented as truth. This deception script is playing out nauseatingly. Abduct people and deny both the act and any knowledge of it. Kill young people, deny the killings while disputing the numbers.
Steal all you can and deny the theft by demanding proof from the accusing public. Brand all accusations as mere allegations—put on a white suit over your stained clothes. Give critical priests pedestrian treatment—assume the position of a god and speak down at them.
Contradictions are a hallmark of this system: one moment, they say the economy is thriving; the next, they are raiding the already weak citizen’s payslip.
Businesses are shutting down with more people added to the ranks of the jobless every day. The system blames citizens for their own suffering, accusing them of not being loyal enough.
Development goodies are reserved for the loyal, while critics are punished by being left to salivate. They talk about national equity while fully aware that this so-called equity is not blind. Entering the equity bracket comes at the price of loyalty.
When confronted with the reality of time passing without significant development, the promise-makers simply make more promises, seducing Kenyans by telling them that in a few months, they will be blown away by the government’s accomplishments. Promises are nothing more than tools of manipulation, designed to secure power.
The louder the broad base shouts from sunroofs about fighting tribalism, the more they entrench it. They preach national unity, yet their greed can only be served by dividing the country. They come with big spoons, seeing people through the lenses of “plates and pots,” judging them by the scoops they take.
Evangelists preaching that Kenya is experiencing the best leadership ever are overworking. When confronted with their growing unpopularity, they dismiss the jeers, claiming they are not after popularity. But in truth, the jeers keep them awake at night! They dread unpopularity. Is this despair not the reason behind buying out the opposition and forming a broad base?
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They accuse critics of “playing to the gallery.” They oppress the people, then accuse those who defend the oppressed of playing popularity games. If the level of political abuse is anything to go by, the evil and darkness driving broad base leadership are raw, deep, and record-shatteringly thick. Yet their ability to pose as agents of light and present themselves as pure as wool testifies to their deep alliance with darkness. These are not ordinary political maneuvers. The calibre of deception could only come from a deep friendship or intense contract with evil.
If darkness is this committed, then the agents of light must come out in full brightness. Darkness knows the power of light—it will invest anything to snuff out all sources of illumination, for even the faintest light disturbs its ways. They use money to turn seemingly decent people into serial liars. Money is their baptismal water.
Those who reject the money are threatened and abused because they pose a real threat. Lightbearers are code-busters, able to bypass the security passwords of darkness and expose its workings. They make the powerful uncomfortable by revealing their sins. Light is darkness’ ultimate party spoiler.
Men of honor are frowned upon in Kenya. Conmen are hailed. Citizens are expected to be docile, with no minds of their own. Their eyes are supposed to be color-blind, seeing the entire system in glorious hues. To the broad base, Kenyans are worthy of being lied to, gullible, disrespected, blind, and easily swayed.
Some expect people to follow “Baba” unquestioningly. But will they? The Addis rejection was not without consequence. While the system of the day may want to downplay the loss, the continental rejection has sent ripples across the Kenyan political scene.
Recent reputational collapses of Kenya on global stages—including Adani, Addis, Sudan, and the DRC—have had domestic effects. The poise of local political leaders as global movers has been dethroned.
Kenyans who doubt the capacity of the broad-based leaders have increased. These global ripples combined with currents of local reputational collapses undoubtedly affect the sailing strength of the broad-based ship.
