Why it will be hard to stop Kenyan politicians this year

Former Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama addressing Msambweni MP-elect Feisal Abdalla Bader's supporters outside Diani Police Station in Kwale County on Wednesday 16th December 2020. [Kelvin Karani, Standard]

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s reintroduction of Covid-19 containment measures has dealt a blow to the political class who are not allowed to hold any political gatherings for the next 30 days.

During his televised address to the nation from State House on Friday, President Kenyatta spelled out new containment measures, chief among them the ban on political gatherings for one month.

Burials will now also be held strictly within 72 hours, while weddings will be allowed to have no more than 100 guests.

With only 16 months left to the 2022 General Election and a series of by-elections lined up, all eyes will be on politicians to see whether or not will obey the order.

At the height of the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, politicians were able to go around measures stipulating that only 15 people should attend funerals and no more than 50 congregants would attend a church service.

In the recent past, politicians have been employing ingenious ways to reach the populace despite the Covid-19 restrictions on hosting large gatherings.

Women delegations

The hosting of youth and women delegations, as well as political meetings in private residences, is a phenomenon that has recently taken a centre stage. Deputy President William Ruto, for instance, has hosted dozens of delegations at his Karen residence.

A few weeks ago, Ruto invited MPs supporting his 2022 presidential bid to a meeting at his Karen residence. Coming on the eve of reconvening of the two Houses of Parliament, the media had reported the deliberations would mainly focus on taking a common position on the pending bills and motions. This would help them to push the agenda of the so-called Hustler Nation Movement.

Following Uhuru’s directive on Friday, the DP has announced a stop to his public rallies until further notice.

Besides the DP, other top politicians, including the president himself, ODM leader Raila Odinga, Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka, and ANC’s Musalia Mudavadi, have in recent months attended rallies where little or no social distancing is observed.

Last November, the president suspended all political gatherings and rallies for 60 days as the country enforced new measures to combat the spread of Covid-19.

At the time, the president directed that anyone wishing to hold such meetings should only do so in town halls and must observe all Covid-19 protocols, including limiting the attendees to one-third seating capacity of the hall.

The ban was announced at a time the politicians were gearing up for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) rallies to popularise recommendations in the report.

Central Organisation of Trade Unions Secretary-General Francis Atwoli’s home in Kajiado County has also become a prominent feature in Kenyan politics and has been listed among “power homes” where political dreams are made and careers killed.

Mr Atwoli has been known to host delegations ranging from the opposition leader Raila Odinga to Western Kenya leaders and was at one point faulted for hosting the gatherings as Covid-19 marched on across the country.

Atwoli dismissed reports that the gathering at his home flouted Covid-19 safety rules, saying his guests, who included governors and MPs were tested for the viral disease before the meeting. He also said at the time that two medics were deployed at his Kajiado home to ensure all health protocols were adhered to.

His response came against the backdrop of an uproar by Kenyans that enforcement of the rules was selective as politicians appeared to carry on with business as usual.

A month later, Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja resigned from chairing the Senate adhoc committee on Covid-19 after he was arrested in a bar for violating curfew timelines.

Mr Sakaja, while addressing the media at Kilimani Police Station where he had gone to record a statement, apologised to the public for his actions.

Churches have also become a “cheat code” for many politicians who go to the altar not only seeking to receive the Word but also “impart their word” to congregants.

Presidential hopefuls Ruto, Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi and Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka have in the past been synonymous with this and have been traversing the country attending church functions. Prior to Friday’s ban on gatherings, Ruto was expected at a church function in Kirinyaga County where he would then proceed for “an empowerment drive”.

Funerals, often packed with dozens of mourners, have also been graced by politicians ranging from the president to the MCAs, with the number of attendees stretching to hundreds. 

Leaders in government who double up as politician have also never missed an opportunity to address crowds whenever they go for “project inspections”.

Roadshows, a favourite tool for politicians, may make a comeback as a way of circumventing ban on political gatherings.