MARTHA KARUA, THE IRON LADY

 

Earthquakes in Political Promises

It is an era where promises from the political arenas are embraced with mixed attitudes. The blend that constitute reactions towards them depend on political loyalty and affiliations, level of comprehension, historical apexes, the needs identified by the people etc. All the factors have a substantive niche in the entirety of these promises. It takes purposive cognition to establish both the workable and the treacherous aspects of the promises. It is devastating that a greater part of the voters take little time to scan the enticing utterances by the politicians. More intriguingly, some scholars in the fields of technology, governance, entrepreneurship, agriculture, health and all other components of an enabling infrastructure for development are either dormant or staggering in the cocoons of jeopardy. The long term essence of the promises is at times not put in the equation, in that the politicians work to satisfy their hunger for votes and ultimate rise to the helms of power.

It is unsettling that in a developing country like Kenya, promises bearing short term modalities sink deep into the cognitive systems of many, thereby denying them a chance to identify the greatness for which they are destined. They end up concluding that manifestos are no longer judged on the basis of context but on those in perpetuation of the same. It is at this point that a ground shaking but enticing language is used to push certain agenda. Casting a vote in favor of a certain politician in illegitimate cognizance of the cash received from them during campaigns is among the causes of present and potential turbulences in development. However, the voter on their part will boastfully proclaim to all and sundry that they exercised their democratic right. The merry is even more on the part of those who successfully contest for elective positions, in notion that they fooled the voters. The aftermath is an objective melancholy after the realization that the promises were unworkable and will thus be fulfilled not.

Not every promise is treachery and not all treachery comes in form of political promises. Their lives good voters: those who take time to analyses the manifestos, and in turn cast votes appropriately and also good leaders; those who share realistic promises and in deed fulfill them. My advocacy is that every voter and leader bears this persona. May it be more of leadership than politics, since it’s through it that we will all delight in a great Kenya.