POLITICIANS SCHNOOK DESPERATION TO PLEASE MASTERS UNETHICAL.

Kalembe Ndile, a politician and fighter for landless people once observed that some desperate politicians could make a political movement loss a million votes by simply opening their foul mouths. The desperation often comes from frantic antics to please their masters but it often backfires.

The late Kalembe Ndile

Some of the statements made by politicians are so awkward and shocking making one to worry about their maturity, academic qualifications and even their intellectual capacity. Since independence, we have listened to politicians uttering words bordering on conflict fanning statements, hate and dangerous childish rants.

Politicians have been known to kneel before their patrons, refer to them as mtukufu (sacred), and pledge unreserved loyalty even when dictatorship is evident. Some leaders have called their patrons baba (father) even in instances when the patrons are way too young to them. John Hamu Habwe in his paper titled; Politeness Phenomena: A Case of Kiswahili Honorifics, observes that…. during the rule of President Daniel arap Moi, there was so much emphasis on honorific use to the extent that allegiance to the dictatorial rule of the President was to be measured through the use of honorifics. Most politicians, seeking to show awe and allegiance were forced to cluster together honorifics, something that sometimes caused amusement in some contexts. Sometimes Moi would be referred to by using honorific terms that were traditionally reserved for God like mtukufu „the holy one‟. This was a circus or language game that regarded honorific use very highly.

The recent statements by my former boss and colleague, Hassan Omar has left me wondering if the conclusion by the Very Reverend Dr. David Githii that politician’s behavior might be influenced by satanic forces represented in parliament through idolatry and satanic symbols. Hassan Omar, a renowned human rights defender famous for challenging tribal politics and its effect on the 2007 elections violence is now a laughing stock for his utterances. His first attack on Kalonzo Musyoka stating that he has even failed to establish a ‘’withcraft clinic’’ as part of his political legacy and the recent rants against what seemed to be direct attack on the Kenyatta family and the citizens from central Kenya are uncalled for.

Hassan Omar during his reign at KNCHR. What happened to his principles?

Omar’s outrageous statement is not new. Take for instance when the former Member of Parliament for Karachuonyo and the feared chairman of the KANU Disciplinary Committee in the 1980s, his statements and actions were the “barometer of loyalty” to the ruling party. During the Okiki Amayo reign of terror, politicians were summoned on flimsy, absurd accusations—ranging from failing to clap enthusiastically for President Daniel arap Moi, laughing at his jokes, or failing to remove a cap in his presence. To survive, many hardened politicians and Cabinet Ministers were forced to plead for mercy on their knees, shedding tears of humiliation in front of the committee to avoid political ruin, all these to please dictator Moi.

The late Okiki Amayo- an armed party guard who invented KANU loyalty barometer made politicians weep as punishment.

Former Special Programmes minister Esther Murugi once threatening to expose her nudity in the streets if the former President, Uhuru Kenyatta would be detained by the ICC. The absurd remark was recently repeated by the Muran’ga Women Representative, Sabina Chege who said that she would remove her panties for people to attend a rally to be addressed by her Party leader in her region. Surely, these two are married women, mothers and respectable leaders but would discard decorum to please their masters.

Blind loyalty by leaders expressed in uncouth statements is not limited to politicians only. Take for instance when the Secretary General of Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) led a 10,000 strong battalion to State House. Instead of addressing biting teachers crisis issues, the tall man went on to address the Head of State as the ‘’perfect teacher.’’ While he is entitled to his opinion, it was a bit farfetched. His speech should have dealt more on teachers’ pay increase, capitation crisis, promotions and the CBC menace.

Politicians should guard their esteem by avoiding melodrama in pleasing their patrons. They should understand that some statements not only cause embarrassment to them, their families and their supporters. Moreover, some of the statements are in conflict with the law and may cause public acrimony and trigger fluidity in social cohesion, violence and death.

leLearning from the leaders- A mother kneel to a young leader (Photo-Ghafla)

You don’t have to overdo yourself as a subject to please your leader at the detriment of your personal integrity and image.