Why Kenyans must reject 'money talks' and embrace 'character talks'

President Ruto and CS for Energy and Petroleum James Opiyo Wandayi during his homecoming in Sidindi. [Michael Mute, Standard]

Kenya has some of the most gifted political mercenaries. They can passionately switch to any political side – just give them money.

The fact that today they are vowing to die for a principle should not deceive you. You may see them dripping with sweat the following day, shouting themselves hoarse in favor of the very things they opposed the previous day.

The real concern is that their mercenary behavior takes the form of a reality show. People actually die. People are actually jailed. People are impoverished.

But when money talks, Kenyan politicians fall silent to listen if the bid is worth taking. If it is, the abandon the reality they had created to mould another one.

Today, they are saying, “He must go!” Tomorrow, they are saying, “He is here to stay!” Today, they say, “The President has had enough time!” Tomorrow, they say, “What’s the hurry? Let him do his two terms.” This erratic politics is more than hypocrisy; it is a form of evil.

With the recent ODM-UDA collaboration, it is becoming clearer that citizens need to separate what they see from what is real. Citizens need to learn that you can follow the pages of politicians but not their steps.

These are men and women for hire. They have no loyalty to the people, no loyalty to principles, and no ideological convictions. Their only loyalty is to wealth-boosting opportunities.

Loyalty to principle is too expensive and if it does not make economic sense, it is worthless to them. Character is treated as a stranger. Most parliamentarians and political appointees will not allow it to hinder them from accessing money-making opportunities.

The sudden switch of the opposition to joining the government, especially against the backdrop of the suffering of protesting Gen Z, greatly exposes the opposition leaders.

One could argue that their pro-people passion was never fueled by authenticity but by anger and envy. The moment an opportunity to share in the spoils arose, their anger was soothed and dissipated.

The homecoming thanksgivings are typical expressions of political victory. But the context of Gen Z’s struggles should have informed these homecomings, even to the extent of suspending this political practice.

At the very least, the homecomings should have taken a moment to honor the young men whose blood secured their appointments. Yet, there was no remembrance of the frontline heroes—only celebration of the opportunistic beneficiaries.

The irony is that when young people mobilize to gather in memory of the departed, the police are mobilized to disperse them. But when the beneficiaries of the young people's sacrifices gather, the police are there to oversee the event!

We have become a country of regrettable contradictions. It would be absurd for these newly appointed officers to demand honor from others when they cannot generate honor for the young men who opened doors for them with their lives.

Kenya seriously needs a radical change. As it is, we are looking to the next election to save our country. The truth is that recent elections have not saved us—they only give people power.

Election days are transaction days where you deliver your vote in response to what the politician has given you. Many voters on election day have already been bought. They must vote in a way consistent with their chains.

Politicians advise us with their wit: "Eat their money but give me your vote." Their opponents say the same. What is exposed and confirmed is that a lot of money changes hands.

When politicians think of the voter in the ballot box, they see the voter as someone they can buy—and they go ahead and buy them. Those without money fall along the way.

The candidate who spent the most money is the most expectant as the election results begin streaming in. They win a lot of the time. The ballot booth belongs to the highest bidder.

If we are to change this country, then we have to rewire the philosophy of money as the power in elections. Monetary wealth overtakes all other forms of wealth and wins repeatedly.

We are not surprised, then, when the majority of parliamentarians are money-minded, not people-minded. We should not be surprised when those at the top nominate professionals who are first and foremost loyalists. They will faithfully deliver the spoils to the nominating authority.

The only way to beat money is to introduce another currency. What is this currency? The currency of character.

Where character currency dominates, the winner of elections doesn't have to wait for election day to be recognized because character is not a moment—it is a lifestyle.

Those interested in leadership began being voted for long way back. The election booth becomes not a transaction kiosk but an affirmation point. Those in the money school do not invest in character—to them it is not what counts at the ballot box.

We need a shift to a currency of character—where those seeking leadership stand a chance because money is not lord of the election booth! The good thing about the world of character currency is that both those with money and those without have equal access to character.

The journey to character has no shortcuts. You cannot corrupt your way to character. You can steal money—but you cannot steal character. The ambition of a community should be to have so many people of character that elections are not an issue—you know you will always have men and women worthy of leadership.

Just as lies do their best to make truth irrelevant, money is uncomfortable around character and does its best to buy it out. Money operates from the premise that everything has a price. It bossily comes to all and dares, “Name your price.”

Character, on the other hand, believes it has paid a price to exist, and that price is turning down monetary offers spread before it to “loosen up.”

The Gen Z demand for leaders of integrity is informed by the obvious reality that our leaders are character challenged. The demand for leaders of character is not new - what is new is the intensity of the yearning.

Early signs of the UDA-ODM collaboration show that it is not a people pact but a power pact.

People are on their own – but that is the space they need to erect the character bumps on the road to the next elections. Where Kenya is going, “money talks” will be overtaken by “character talks.”