Political parties in Kenya need to think like brands

Elections 2017 are fast approaching. We have seen unprecedented political activities as we tentatively move towards 2017. A stream of defections and counter defections, political divorces, renunciations normally characterize such a time.

After all you could argue that this is political “harvest" time. The fact that the ruling jubilee party and the opposition CORD have agreed in unison that something ought to be done pretty fast to stem the senseless seesaw of defections and political juggernauts is in itself a telling confession of the toxicity of our politics.

You must have heard of the congenial tribal tags such as the "mulembe", "kikuyu" nations among many other unseemly names, contrived solely for the aim of creating a political constituency whose appeal is mainly predicated upon the strong pull and appeal of tribal nexus.

Where did we go wrong? I have attempted to ask myself the same annoying question. Myriad ideas and reasons came into my fertile mind but at the end, one common thing explained it all.

It's because our political parties are not fashioned around ideas but have found union and have fermented in the pot of tribal thinking.

Political tribal talk has really debased what would otherwise have been a sound and healthy debate in Kenya. Tribe has become the "sine quo non" something akin to a political life raft if anyone is to survive the tumultuous political climate in our country.

I come from the north-east, and Garissa county in particular, a region ravaged by the tribal whammy of ignorance, poverty, neglect and you could add a fourth one there: systematic state discrimination over the years.

Devolution came, and then admittedly, we sighed a huge heave of relief hoping that after so many years of underdevelopment that we would be on the fast lane to more paved roads, clean water, and the best subsidized drugs under the devolved system of government among many other anticipated goodies.

Then somehow we went off the tangent. Tribal and clan inclinations took over, exacerbated by the incessant and unrelenting turf wars between different county governments and the state officialdom.

Last few weeks we came to learn of a new linguistic addition to our never ending political treatise, but again: just contrived for the purposes of elections 2017.

They call it "negotiated democracy". You could ask, negotiated by whom, on behalf of whom?

It's a weighty question and I have no quick answers. But I know one thing. What is happening in Mandera, Garissa, Wajir and in other parts of Kenya have the hallmarks of "tribal" marriages in this increasingly petulant and mostly disorderly political swansong.

Back to what ails our politics in general and political parties in particular. Our politics has been irremediably damaged by the poisonous fangs of tribal groupings and our parties are symptomatic of this malaise.

Instead of seeking to put forth ideas that would power our country ahead and check tribalism, they are all guilty of helping to excite tribal dissection among peace loving Kenyans.

Ideally parties and the manifestos and belief systems they espouse should crystallize around healthy and progressive ideas that would help Kenya surmount the current problems facing us and help to put the country on the path to sustainable development.

It's why political parties need to think like brands. They need to connect and appeal to Kenyans the way a pair of Jordan air Nike shoes would appeal to the fashion conscious consumer.

To do so, the creme De creme of the Kenyan politics need to up their game and find a way of rebranding their respective political parties and shed off the ignominy of tribal tags.

The average Kenyan voter needs to have an affinity and the parties need to cultivate brand values and authenticity to help detox our poisoned political climate.

Please Mr. Raila and ilk, President Kenyatta and his number two, Ruto you need to go back and reset or reboot your political strategies by configuring how your respective parties can start thinking like stellar brands.

After all, Kenyans are looking for progressive ideas and not the vignettes and the shallow trappings of tribal pigeonholes.

If all that is done, you would have put Kenya on the path to sustainable development and help to achieve a more prosperous and successful Kenya.

I long for that day. My heart has grown forlorn.