Baba: Hidden, unpredictable force behind jilted politicians

Opposition leader Raila Odinga conduct interment of Chief of Defence Forces General Francis Ogolla.  [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

I may not be very far from the truth when I say that both politics and love are games. While love may be considered a game of the heart, politics requires good brains and wit.

In both cases, those involved aim to endear themselves to one another and losing is never easily accepted.

Fortunately, for the African man there is always a leeway in both cases. You see, unlike most western countries where polygamy is frowned upon, the African man has room to marry more than one and keep many more clandestine affairs, in politics, we have been known to be dishonest and the best contender is never necessarily the one declared to be the winner.

Some politicians are currently undergoing what we refer to as the jilted lover syndrome - when he reshuffled his cabinet, the president had to drop a few Cabinet Secretaries who had previously seen themselves as his darlings.

Like the real jilted lovers, these men and women are dealing with a turmoil of emotions, especially because they did not see it coming. Some are taking time to reflect on where they may have gone wrong, yet others are evidently sulking from the maltreatment.

At the center of this game is Baba, a man loved and hated in equal measure. In the context of love, Baba can be compared to the wandering wife who always leaves and comes back just after her husband has moved on.

He can be likened to the ex-wife that each new bride is warned about. He may pack up all his stuff and appear to be gone only to resurface when you least expect it. Like Gomer in the bible who constantly leaves Hosea only to come back, Baba has been known to leave the opposition and join the ruling team in many instances.

The new bride, who was still hoping to enjoy her marriage now has to contend with the return of the former wife which immediately dislodges the said bride from a position of favour. All this while, the new ‘in-laws’ watching from the peripheries are not happy with the way their daughter is being treated.

Indeed, a few of them have taken to social media to lament on how they supported the big man in 2022 only to be jilted two years later. They feel disrespected and vow to play a different game in 2027.

But 2027 is still too far to make any conclusive decisions. As they say, a day in politics can be too long. The big man will definitely find a way to thaw the hearts of the jilted lovers and get them back to his bed. Baba too will make his way back to the opposition where he thrives best.

He will lay there in waiting until the new government is formed. And then he will surreptitiously find a way to break the budding union yet again.

The Mount Kenya region is currently experiencing what jilted lovers go through when they stand with their broke men, only to be left when the man gets stable.