Types of political power seekers and why youths hold key to better Kenya

Youths during the Gen Z protests in Nairobi. The 2024 Gen Z slogan of being party-less, tribe-less, and leader-less can become a generational movement that ensures the youth vote out those experienced in bad governance. [File, Standard]

Politics, the art of seeking power in order to control and distribute available resources, attracts many players and pervades every aspect of society. Some competitors are unfit for offices but they are serious about getting power. Others want power to keep potential rivals from having it. The ability to monopolise or deny others access to specific resources is high politics. Who gets that power, at the local or international levels, is a consequence of stiff competition that at times can be deadly.

Acquiring political power leads to other benefits and calls for clarity of mind on what to do and how to do it. This is the ability to balance ruthlessness with cunning and not to confuse the two. Since many power wielders end up confusing the two, they plunge countries into chaos partly because they lack critical knowledge that is often obtained from the study of history, the humanities, and political economy.