[kictanet] When Leaders follow the followers

Mon Nov 28 10:05:35 EAT 2011

Thanks Daktari for this brilliant piece, shows that we worship money, we
are short-sighted and that until we start to deal with real issues,
re-educate the masses, political demagoguery will reign and people will
continue to be poor and disillusioned.

Now, this brings me to another issue. Apparently, money is the new God.
This is a hot issue, one which I am sure will earn me a few barbs but I
want us to think critically about it. Travelling back from a conference
last week, a colleague told us about his friend who states
unapologetically that money is his God because with money, he can get
education, with money he can get the best medical care, with money, he can
buy have a priest at his disposal. And since we have seen much from the
'real' God, who is more powerful, God or the money? Now, Dr Ndemo's
narrative and exposition below reveals the mentality and thinking of
Kenyans. Have money and people will follow, worship you.

Just a few thoughts, and hope that my views above will not generate
dogmatic opprobrium. I hope we can think critically about issues that
affect Kenyans, and find long-lasting solutions, including how to deal
with lying and populist politicians whose only agenda is to gain political
power and maintain the status quo.

George

> Listers,
> I want to start by thanking Andrea Bohnstedt for her last Saturday article
> titled, We need Politicians with Economic Policy, The Star on Saturday
> 19th 2011.  It raised salient points but it came too early before I could
> put my skills to test.  My first encounter with the current Presidential
> candidates ended up to be thoroughly frustrating but a good lesson for all
> of us to learn from.  Our only way out is to create political, social and
> economic transformations through social media.  Here is my argument for
> this proposition:
>
> Last week attended Dr. Hezron Nyangito’s funeral in Kisii and I had the
> chance to test my “political ambition”.  I failed.  When time came for me
> to speak, I was nervous but gathered myself to make a few remarks.  This
> was my brief speech:  The family of Nyangito, our leaders Prime Minister,
> Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers, members of Parliament, My colleagues
> PSs, Senior Civil Servants Ladies and Gentlemen.   It is my singular honor
> to speak at the funeral of my great friend and former colleague both at
> the University and the Civil Service as Permanent Secretaries.   Nyangito
> was a gentleman but all through our interactions we argued mostly on how
> to eradicate poverty in Kenya and more specifically here in Kisii.  Since
> the rains are coming (it rains in Kisii every day at 2pm and by the time I
> was speaking it was around 1 pm).  I can only promise to put in writing
> what his thoughts were and how we can help the people he loved most moves
> towards a prosperous future.
>
> I had just been given 2 minutes for my speech and that of my colleague,
> Mary Ngari, PS Medical Services.  In Mary’s speech, she was to announce
> that the Government will undertake to finish the construction of a health
> center that Nyangito had started in his home area.  She never got to the
> point of saying this since the crowd that numbered about 50,000 was
> getting restless and wanted to hear from the politician.  Indeed I was
> bothered that the crowd was not interested in the issues we were raising
> as they would impact on their lives.
>
> The time came for politicians to speak and here I discovered that indeed
> we are led by the electorate and any change we must make, it must be to
> educate the electorate.  First every Presidential candidate arrived in
> their own helicopters.  There were seven helicopters and a quick
> observation most of the public were bare foot but they liked the
> excitement of helicopters landing in their villages.  They cheered for
> every one that landed and rushed towards the landing area just to announce
> Ruto, Kenyatta, Raila etc.  Obviously all the politicians loved this and
> being surrounded by people chanting their names.
>
> First to speak was Ruto and had this to say “Mbuya more abanto baito (How
> are you our people), Mbuya Mono (Very fine with a big roar).  Nyangito was
> a great man”.  The crowd went quiet and Ruto changed gear “munajua
> tumekaribia kung’eng’ana (we are nearing political fight)” Here there were
> bigger roaring cheers and ululations’.  I must add that Ruto had the
> correct masterly of Swahili and impeccably dressed in what appeared to be
> a Gucci suit (retails for about $4,000). Hon. Nyachae stood and as a
> clever politician he did not bother with issues but focused on what
> brought cheers, “sisi wa Kisii ni wanaume (us Kisii’s are men) never mind
> the majority of the crowd were women.  His statement was met with even
> greater roaring, ululations and whistling.
>
> Uhuru’s turn came and he had to read the President’s speech as the crowd
> watched in heavy silence waiting to hear what could excite them.  Being a
> smart politician he had to make his own remarks at the end at this is what
> he said “hii si wakati wa siasa lakini tunakuja, nitarudi”(this not the
> time for politics but I will come back) cheers more roars and ululations.
> Then it came the turn of the Prime Minister, “I knew Nyangito 
.”  He
> seemed to have noted that the crowd was getting bored then as any clever
> politician he switched gears “Nimetoka Israel na nilipitia Jerusalem kwa
> Yesu” (I have just come from Israel and I passed through Jerusalem where
> Jesus lived) the crowd responded with roars.  He could intermittently hold
> his speech to allow for more ululations, “nikapitia Nazareth bahari Yesu
> alizaliwa (I passed through Nazareth where Jesus was born) pause then
> cheers, hata Galilee nilienda, pause na Bethlehem (even I went to Galilee
> and Bethlehem).
>
> This is what the public wanted and the politician gave it.  In essence it
> is the public that takes the lead and those we assume to be leaders
> follow.  I did not want to make that conclusion too early.  After the
> funeral there was a heavy jam.  Several University students accosted me.
> Here I decided to put this new found theory in place.  I told them that
> when I came in the morning, I flew into Kisumu and landed in the new
> airport and not surprisingly they clubbed.  Here I concluded that if you
> want to be a politician, you must begin to be irrelevant to issues that
> affect the people.  If you really want to be popular, you must have a
> helicopter since it gets you closer to the people.  The third variable
> that will endear you to the people is MONEY.
>
> Among the Kisii culture there is a tendency to raise a bit of money at a
> funeral mainly to assist those who may need transport and food as they go
> back to their homes.  We simply call it erongori  (porridge).  At this
> function former Minister for Planning Henry Obwocha was asked to request
> for erongori.  Usually if you gave Ksh. 1,000, it will be considered too
> much.  Before Obwocha could finish asking for this, there was a queue of
> politicians.  Hon. XXX Ksh.100,0000 and the crowd cheered.  The cheers
> stopped at Ksh. 20,000.  This really embarrassed people like me who could
> only afford Ksh. 5,000. The more you gave the more they cheered.  Let us
> revisit the University student experiment.  Since I was on experiment
> mode, I decided to give them Ksh. 5,000 for what they called transport.
> They were not amused as they pocketed my hard earned money.  They quickly
> set their eyes on heavyweights who responded and of course were treated to
> cheers.
>
> We have learnt three critical variables that make a successful Kenyan
> politician.  First get yourself lots of money and buy a helicopter, then
> avoid dealing with issues that might impact on the lives of the public and
> finally buy your popularity.   This is very similar to Kaletsky’s views in
> Capitalism 4.0.  It is consistent to Moi’s strategy whenever the public
> mood was low.  He used to say “nitopoe” (I disclose) followed with an
> unnecessary pause and here the crowds used to roar with cheers.  Moi never
> really disclosed anything in his nitopoe syndrome.  Jacob Zuma in South
> Africa results to a jig that tickled South Africans to the extent of
> removing Thabo Mbeki, an accomplished thoughtful leader.  Zuma is getting
> his own medicine from upcoming Malema.  Armed with Bob’s script he has
> galvanized the public into believing that “killing the Boer” would
> redistribute Black empowerment resources better.  Mobutu Sese Seko used to
> get cheers for simply clearing his throat.
>
> The political pillar of our own vision 2030 requires that we inculcate
> issue-based politics.  In crafting this vision we assumed it is the
> politician we needed to change.  We were wrong.  We must now have
> strategies to change the public.  They are the ones who have the power to
> change things.  I must admit that there is no known community that has
> ever leapfrogged social, economic and political development.  In my view
> we should have focused on economic development first which has an impact
> on social development.  Political development emanates from social
> consciousness.  We should learn from the Arabs that political domination
> has limits.  In Arab countries that focused on economic empowerment, the
> impact of political change is or will be less painful than in those
> countries that they want to see change in all the three aspects of
> development.
>
> In the state where the electorate is unaware of their inadequacies with
> respect to social, political and economic transformation, it is imperative
> that rapid disruptive policies such urbanization be implemented.  In a
> state of confusion perhaps we may change the society from peasant
> mentality to a more productive society.  In Kenya technology should help
> us.  We have a real chance through social media to start mass social
> re-engineering with the aim of shortening the learning curve we often go
> through in socio political transformation.  This cannot be done by
> politicians since they have already subordinated themselves into the
> followership mentality.  We shall then strengthen these networks to
> creating a robust information platform that will enhance intra Africa
> trade which will have a great impact on Africa’s economic progress and
> sustainability.
>
>
> Regards
>
>
> Ndemo
>
>
>
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-- 
Dr George Nyabuga
Associate Director
School of Journalism & Mass Communication
University of Nairobi
Education Building
Harry Thuku Road
PO Box 30197 - 00100
Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: +254(0)20 318262 Fax: +254(0)20 2229168
Mobile: +254 (0)72151 6573
Email: gnyabuga at uonbi.ac.ke, gnyabuga at yahoo.co.uk
www.uonbi.ac.ke

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