Tribal politics biggest threat to democracy, national cohesion

Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani (centre right) before the Senate Standing Committee on National Cohesion, Equal Opportunities and Regional Integration to deliberate on the representation of Kenya's Diversity in their staff composition of the institutions at Bunge Towers,Nairobi . August 26th,2024. [Elvis Ogina,Standard]

In a constitutional democracy, the rule of law does not take a sabbatical. The greatest peril we continually face as a nascent democracy is not the lack of quality leadership, but rather the presence of leadership motivated by nothing other than parochial interests domiciled within tribal cells.

Following the impeachment of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, various tribal conglomerations are gaining traction, and the whipping up of ethnic emotions is intensifying as the 2027 elections approach. We must reject the practice of trading in tribalism for political relevance. We must be willing to make sacrifices to improve human life rather than contribute to the misery of humanity by living off untidy politics.

Is leadership based on ideologies exclusionary? While leadership, whether political or corporate, is expected to be dignified, we cannot ignore the binary perspectives among political elites driven by self-preservation. Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, in his book 'Re-membering Africa', emphasises the need for collective action by Africans to fight against the ideologies and strands that initially led to the dismemberment of Africa. Unfortunately, this dismemberment remains a persistent issue.

Examining Kenyan politics and its players reveals significant internal dismemberment and ethnographic colonisation engineered by the political class for self-aggrandisement and to satisfy small egos, all at the expense of nationalistic exploration of political spaces and the dismantling of structural inequalities.

What is worse, in Kenya and Africa, when you are poor and attempt to join politics, you are already at a disadvantage. Additionally, there is sycophancy—a dangerous dependency syndrome that serves as an attractive lifeline for some individuals bereft of ideas and intelligence. These political poodles are trying to escape the lower end of inequality through the wrong narrow path.

Political parties and formations need to be driven by ideas and ideologies if Kenya is to rise to the heights of dignified politics where the indignities of violence, outright lies, and trashy manifestos will cease to exist, and respect for equal political participation will prevail.

Kenya's political space is filled with apologists who are merely whistling in the wind. Progressive ideas are entombed, and irritant ghosts have secured places at the table where reason is often expelled.

While it is impressive that Kenyans are zealous about politics and governance affairs, this passion is unfortunately contaminated by tribal jingoism, which deprives many of the pleasure of objective decision-making. Tribal stewardship gives a false sense of nationalism to some key political figures, sustains delusional self-importance, and obscures the national distribution of resources when they are in power.

I have often questioned the idea of our nationhood. It is disturbing to see a community throng a press conference to praise the President for appointing one of their own or to castigate him for not recognising them despite their large turnout during the elections. Such governance of exclusion provides a clear explanation for why presidential elections are so highly contested. The electorate turns out not to exercise their suffrage but to install their tribal king and exclude others.

This installation creates a mindset that all power should be shared only among those in the same tribal house. The winner-take-all syndrome continues to thrive, to the detriment of forming a cohesive nation. As such, you are lucky if your tribe is recognised by the leader and must therefore act as a court poet, performing an ode to impress.

Those whose serenade is too cacophonic to impress the leader for a reward, or whose chances faltered at the ballot, will continue to suffer. Every time I see them in the media, I am convinced that something must change for us to realise the dream of a unified nation. Those in leadership positions ought to serve the citizens of Kenya, not just their tribes.

The biggest conspiracy of our time is the unhygienic nature of our political practices. After running down the financial fabric of our country and engaging in political infidelity, our leaders have fiendishly trapped us in a state of crisis.

It is time to elevate political maturity for the sake of sustained democracy. This should involve rejecting the practice of trading in tribalism for political relevance and making sacrifices to improve human life. The unhygienic nature of current political practices which have led to financial crises and political instability, must be addressed through a commitment to the rule of law and democratic principles.

Mr Toroitich is a communication lecturer and researcher