“Don’t cry son, I’ll bring you candy when I get back from work in the evening,” my dad would say whenever I threw tantrums in the morning as he left for work, which he never brought. Or, “Go put on your shoe, I’ll be waiting by the gate.” He’d be gone by the time I had struggled to put on my little shoe, mostly left to the right, and right to the left leg.
This dance mirrors the political class and the electorates’ vicious cycle. Just as the little boy waited expectantly for a candy that never came, and forgot about it by the end of the day, so does the electorate forget the manifestos and accompanying scandals of the elected politicians every election cycle.
The past week has been particularly interesting, one for the history books and a bank of satire for the creatives. Kenyans around the country, have taken it upon themselves to carry out oversight on government projects. Morara Kebaso, a lawyer and advocate initially thrust into the limelight by his imitation of the head of state’s art of deception, has inspired the population to evaluate the president’s development tour around the country.
And it has been a rude awakening to the nation, having the statehouse PR team scampering to salvage an image in tatters. The president has been exposed for crisscrossing the country, on top of SUVs launching projects that had been launched by his predecessors and in some instances by himself.
Yet, the projects stalled even though millions of money have been spent on the books with little to show for it on the ground, signaling a blatant waste of public funds in fraudulent deals.
State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohammed on Saturday 17th August, said President Ruto’s visits to the different regions are part of his role as the Head of State which involves checking on the progress of projects funded by taxpayer’s resources, launching new ones, and even re-launching those that have stalled.
However, this statement has drawn even more criticism and made the populace even more skeptical. The president has long been labeled a liar, owing to his double speak and evident disconnect with reality. For instance, the last-mile electricity connection was a development initiative by the past regime that he was part of, though it formed part of his development tour.
Last year Ruto launched a railway line from Ngong to Riruta. It was a huge event presided over by Ruto himself and attended by Gachagua, Governor Lenku, and the area MP. 24 hours later, Kenya Railways carried all their metal and concrete. The only thing there today is the commemorative stone with Ruto’s name.
Logic dictates that power comes with responsibility. And with this responsibility comes delegation of duty and oversight to ensure proper implementation. Ironically, our president seems to have mastered the art of a one-man show, a clown show if you ask me; Where he is in the news every day launching non-existent projects and fighting imaginary foes while making more promises.
Why would a head of state jump into a melee he’d already called, why not have the relevant authorities inspect and ensure the projects are successfully executed? Why would a head of state launch a borehole, I ask you?
