Silly season when politicians herd Kenyans into tribal cocoons for elections is upon us

I get confused and blush when I read from analysts and commentators that Kenyan politicians should give us “policies” and “issues-based” politics. Which “issues”? My argument has consistently been that unless we get a new non-ethnic political narrative, the current political class in Cord/Nasa and Jubilee are incapable of any “issues”.

Their whole political engagements revolve around ethnicity. It’s a pity they are currently running all over like headless chicken.

Outside this madness, they have nothing new to offer. Absolutely nothing. Those begging and pleasing with the politicians to engage in “issues-based” politics are great dreamers. I gave up a long time ago. The only narrative that the current political class is capable of is tribalism. Period. It is a narrative of fierce hate, division, impunity, anger and anarchy. These are what the current political class has planted since 2013 and are about to come to fruit.

The tribal kingpins in Cord and Jubilee have no other way of keeping power or ascending to power. When I hear talk of a campaign of issues, I am wondering where they are supposed to come from. Free and fair elections? In this environment? You are kidding me! The drums of tribal hatred and warmongering are beating, loud and clear. Everyone, including the Francis Ole Kaparo-led National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).

Figure this out: The Gikuyu “Council of elders” want the Luo Council of Elders to apologise for Millie Odhiambo’s mad outbursts of insults against Uhuru in parliament, or else... A conspirational silence greeted this ultimatum. If indeed he claims to be a national President, such a reaction should have bothered Uhuru. Two concerns: That Gi?ku?yu? “Council of Elders” came out in defence of Uhuru is a confirmation that Uhuru is a Gi?kuyu President (or they view him as such) and needs to be defended by the Agi?k?uyu?.

While the elders have the right to exercise their stupidity in any way they deem fit in a democracy, it was incumbent upon Uhuru who is gallivanting all over the country talking of “peaceful” elections to denounce a statement that portrays him as a tribal president. He didn’t. And he can’t.

There is a bigger reason though why Uhuru should have categorically distanced himself from the statement, if indeed he did not endorse it. The so called G?iku?yu? Council of elders made the Millie invective a Luo affair. Instead of dealing with her as an individual and taking any other appropriate action, they roped in Raila and the entire Luo community. Recipe for disaster.

Moses Kuria’s strange bill

This is what happens when ethnicity is the super-narrative that governs all political associations in a society like ours. This is where leadership is required. Instead of reigning in his lieutenants, Uhuru called Millie Odhiambo an idiot?

It is the same G?iku?yu? “Council of Elders” who last week threatened to “curse” Founder and Chairman of Royal Media Service, SK Macharia for recently claiming that Opposition leader Raila Odinga won the 2007 Presidential Election, but it was robbed of it by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

This is not the first time tribal “elders” are coming out in defence of their tribal Kingpin. The Luo Council of Elders has on several occasions come out with guns blazing over this or that. Meanwhile, if Cotu Secretary General, Francis Atwoli is to be believed, the Luhya have crowned a tribal Kingpin.

The Prince without a Kingdom, Musalia Mudavadi now has one. And he has come up with half an idea called Nasa in whose launch at Bomas of Kenya last week we could count the number of times it or its slogan was mentioned on one the fingers of one hand. From that, you don’t need to be a political scientist to tell, like Jubilee did to him, Cord are going to play Mudavadi big time.

When Atwoli, in his capacity as a Luhya elder, crowned Mudavadi as the community’s spokesman in a choreographed event, the latter was elated and more than ready to pick up the title. My friend, when the coronation of a tribal kingpin becomes a national affair and headline news in a country that is sinking in the abyss of tribalism, you know we are in deep trouble.

I have not heard any condemnation from the other tribal kingpins. Of course, they have no moral authority to condemn the coronation of another tribal kingpin. It has something to do with the saying about those who live in glass houses.

Not to be outdone, the Maasai are looking for a tribal kingpin, and Interior CS Joseph Nkaiserry, who should be more concerned about the county’s security in the face of tribe rising against each other, is spearheading it.

Both Cord and Jubilee are salivating over that tribal constituency that Ntimama left behind. It does seem that Nkaissery now has his brief from his boss. A recent meeting he held in Massai-land is telling of the direction and thinking within Jubilee, and it could have dominated the headlines for a while hadn’t the Duale tape emerged and gone viral on social media.

Remember Kalonzo refusing to answer a question from a journalist from Central because “your name betrays you”. Now Duale reportedly wants Kambas evicted from Garissa. Kamba “leaders” who said nothing about Kalonzo’s mad outburst now think Duale is out of order and should be sanctioned.

When Kalonzo issued perhaps one of the most debased ethnic slurs to come from someone who claims to be a national leader with presidential ambitions, the Kamba “leaders” said nothing. Kalonzo has been shouting from the rooftops that Duale’s remarks “are poisonous and could cause chaos” and that he will report him to the ICC. Look who is talking! Little wonder then, that his co-principles in Cord called him a watermelon and Judas Iscariot!

To crown it all, Cord and Jubilee cannot agree over an obvious need for a backup system for voter identification and results transmission. Cord wants “mass action”.

Meanwhile, Gatundu South MP, Moses Kuria is preparing for them.  He is tabling the “Kenya Stand Your Ground Bill” that seeks to “entrench citizen’s right to self-defence in cases of unrest”. When it comes from Moses Kuria you know nikubaya. God have mercy on us!