It's no longer tenable for leaders to hide behind the tribal card

President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua (left) at the KICC during a past event, April 11, 2023. [Silas Otieno, Standard]

Oliver Markus Malloy, German-American novelist, in his seminal book titled 'How to Defeat the Trump Cult: Want to Save Democracy?' writes that "The rich ruling class has used tribalism, a primitive caveman instinct, to their advantage since the beginning of time. They use it to divide and conquer us".

Oliver's sentiments are relatable in our Kenyan situation. June started with a rising political voltage, fueled by the supposed tension between President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua.