Wanjawa: Stop politics of banditry and primitive accumulation

A state’s legitimacy rests on its fulfillment of certain bare minimums, such as security, management of economic reproduction, balancing of input and output roles and nurturing of a national identity.

Conversely, increasing failure to deliver on these functions diminishes the essence of stateness. States are rooted in a trinity of variables: the idea of the state, institutional framework and material base.

Notwithstanding its abstraction, the idea of the State is core to its legitimacy.

However, the current Kenyan nation state is in a shambles. Some even think it is teetering on the precipice of political existentialism.

Rather than facilitate nationhood and build institutions and evolve programmes critical to socio-economic reproduction, the political class is mired in the miasma of deceit and arrogance and is deeply encumbered in the dynamics of primitive accumulation.

In this banditry of politics, resources, wealth and power are increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few power elites, leading to widespread inequality, incompetence and inefficiency.

Rogue politicians close to power have perfected the use of unlawful and unethical practices for political gain.

They are behaving like bandits exploiting state resources, bending or breaking laws, using coercion, violence, or threats to maintain power and prioritising personal and factional interests over the public good.

In this idiocy and insanity, Kenya’s political system functions more like an organised criminal enterprise rather than a legitimate democratic institution.

It exploits citizens and plunders state resources for self-preservation. Swaggering in their million-dollar wristwatches, belts, shoes and automobiles, they literally vomit at the feet of barefooted Kenyans. Woe unto you if you as much as call them out as the Catholic bishops so eloquently did.

In this criminal enterprise, leadership is characterised by patronage, cronyism and corruption. Political leaders frequently rely on ethnic and parochial loyalty rather than merit, resulting in an unstable governance structure where the public’s needs are deflated in favour of private selfish gain.

Leadership is often seen as a tool for accumulation rather than trusted service to the people. Political appointments are skewed in favour of particular families, communities and regions. Such practices reinforce a political banditry where loyalty and ethnicity take precedence over qualifications, promoting raw tribalism and undermining national ethos.

The governance system is characterised by inefficiency, weak institutions lack of transparency.

The public sector has become notorious for corruption, while the executive arrogates to its self-sweeping powers, undermining constitutional and administrative checks and balances. Independent institutions have been undermined by placing loyalists in key positions or by interfering with the judiciary and other constitutional bodies.

As a people, we have openly encouraged or abetted bad manners in our leaders often excusing them rather than calling them out and holding them to account. In fact, we have often prioritised material wealth and individual success over collective and institutional well-being.

The middle class and the intelligentsia seem only too willing to join in the looting frenzy. This has fostered a culture of impunity in which wealth is seen as a legitimate means to power, regardless of how it was accumulated.

For Kenyans to truly win their country back, they need to take a holistic approach that goes beyond voting in elections.

“Ruto Must Go” is not a solution. It requires a sustained eff ort to reclaim the political, economic and social spaces that have been compromised by corruption and mismanagement.

For a start, we must foster civic engagement; Kenyans must become more involved in governance, not just during elections, but also through advocacy, public dialogue and community organising. Holding leaders accountable should go beyond the ballot box.

Civic education should empower citizens to question leadership and demand change. Kenya’s diverse ethnic, cultural and religious communities must unite around a common solidarity for national development and shared progress.

Kenyans must create policies based on national priorities; engage in participatory policy-making whereby the people’s needs and aspirations are at the core of every decision. Sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education and infrastructure development must be given priority while fostering policies that protect natural resources and promote innovation.

The nation must focus on reducing dependence on foreign aid and increasing domestic self-sufficiency.

Independent media will continue to play a critical role in promoting good governance, transparency and accountability.

In this regard, Development through Media networks with other civil society organisations reinforces a bulwark for a healthy democracy.

Through its cadre of dedicated reporters and online media spaces, it plays a vital role in calling out corruption, mobilising the public and pushing institutions to adopt transparency and accountability.