President William Ruto's motorcade at UDA headquarters in Nairobi on April 2,2024.
Former Dutch Prime Minister and current head of Nato Mark Rutte was filmed by an African woman last year in the Netherlands when she spotted him walking on the streets. Their conversation, in the video that went viral, showed that they were both on a morning walk to their destinations in the Dutch capital. One could see both her joy and surprise at bumping into a leader of a country on a walk-about.
Europeans may not have got it, but for us Africans, it was just the most abnormal and crazy thing a leader could do. I bet the African woman and many Africans just could not understand how a whole, living and breathing prime minister of a European country, no less, could walk the streets for something as mundane as getting a coffee or going shopping, without a fleet of expensive cars and motorcades.
In fact, the former Dutch Prime Minister was going to pick his new glasses from the opticians and then walk some more to work. I am sure many Kenyans have questions around this. Why was there no bodyguard to run barefoot and get the glasses for the President? Was mama fua ready to wash the President’s shoes if he decided to walk around Nairobi? The mind boggles!
In a country where politicians are treated like demi-gods, the notion that they even go to the toilet and clean themselves is unthinkable if not treasonous to even suggest. They don’t carry their own bags, especially our female politicians; why should they be expected to do anything human like going to the market, toilet, or barbershop and share spaces with ordinary folks? If ever they decide to, it will be like a circus coming to town given the number of security in tow.
Humility
Then you ask, if the politicians make the country look this dangerous, how on earth do they expect tourists to feel? The amount of money wasted to serve and protect just a handful of Kenyans residing in State House, or working in Parliament and county assemblies could serve Kenyans for decades without the need for foreign aid.
The lack of humility in most of our leaders is something that I find baffling. I wonder whether it comes from insecurity, narcissism or pure sadistic traits in them. The idea of inconveniencing everyone else to please just one person, a politician, is so acceptable, that Kenyans just ask how high they can jump if it came to glorifying politicians.
It is not surprising, therefore, to read that Kenyans found it odd that a retired governor could choose to just sit under a tree and contemplate or even rest. Neither could they believe that a former deputy governor has become a wood fuel seller. This suggests politicians are pushed to corruption to meet the expectations Kenyans place on them—a demigod expected to live in nothing short of a palace and drive in a convoy of cars even after retirement.
Had the expectations of politicians been humility and integrity, we may perhaps have had a calibre of politicians who live simply and dedicate their time to serving the public than racing to accumulate wealth to satisfy the expectations voters have of them.
I did write before that we may fare better by making politics a volunteer service, where only those with a heart to serve the public and have integrity need apply. It won’t come as a surprise then, to see a Woman Representative be a mama mboga who splits her time between the office and market stall. We could essentially have volunteers from across different fields and vocations who give their time to serve the country and live among the people they serve, not barricaded behind walls.
Humble life
Kenyans must remember that politicians are expected to live a humble life guided by integrity. That means their lives should not be dissimilar from those of other Kenyans. This way, you will not be surprised when you see your local MP take a matatu to Parliament to represent you. Your political representative should be poorer than you in an ideal environment built on humility, integrity and transparency.
If politicians made Kenya safer, then they, too, would find it safe to walk to the opticians, hospitals and parks without the need of hangers-on and hundreds of security.
We need to see less opulence in our politics and more humility. Once the disease that is materialism is cured, we may end up with the style of politics that produces leaders such as Mark Rutte who neither need nor expect security in their own towns and cities.
Voters must stop hero-worshipping corrupt politicians and demand humility and integrity instead.
Ms Guyo is a legal researcher. [email protected], @kdiguyo.
