Daily Nation ­ Tuesday
Date: 09.08.2016
Page 18
Article size: 284 cm2
ColumnCM: 63.11
AVE: 136320.0
Only truth can free us from bad politics
sidelines.
I recently read a short
video review by Phyllis
Kimpel based on a New
The observation made by
the reviewer is that speak­
ing the truth is the least we
should expect from our po­
York Bestseller book writ­
The answer was that he lied
to a nation.
It quotes Hitler's words
when he said, "How fortu­
nate for leaders, that men do
not think. Make the lie big,
make it simple, keep it sim­
ple and eventually the people
Speaking the
truth is the least
autobiography, Mein
we should expect
Kampf Hitler is quoted
as having said, "The great
from our political
masses of the people will
leaders and if we
more easily fall victim to a
stand by and insulate
big lie than a small one."
This book was widely read ourselves from the
by Germans at the time and ongoing lies, then
lo and behold, the masses
fell into two categories,
those who believed Hitler's
seem to be more divided
than ever and the prospect
litical leaders and if we stand of one united nation gets
by and insulate ourselves
dimmer by the day.
Another lie fed to the
from the ongoing lies, then
masses has suggested that
eventually we shall be de­
leaders owe the electorate
stroyed as a people.
a living and hence financial
As I pondered this mes­
largesse is the only route to
sage, and in light of the
get elected in Kenya.
titanic political battles that
The hollow boasts from
have begun in our country as
we approach the elections, I different national and county
could not help asking myself level political aspirants on
the financial war chests they
why we do not learn from
history.
are building for their elec­
The key questions that
tion campaigns is a complete
came to mind were "What
misnomer in light of the
are our standards for being
huge Government deficit and
led? Is it alright for a po­
the shaky economic founda­
litical leader to lie to the
ten by Andy Andrews titled
"How do you kill 11 million
people?" And it made me sit
up on realising how history
repeats itself in so far as
leadership or rather mislead­
ership is concerned.
The review begins with the
question: "How did Hitler
get elected resulting in the
killing of 11 million people?"
will believe it."
In Hitler's
lier outlined, a lie repeated
truly becomes an acceptable
truth. The jury is out as we
eventually we shall be
destroyed as a people"
lie and those who ignored it. these less than 8 million
people (barely 10 per cent
The reviewer observed
of the population) actively
that at the time, the total
campaigned and worked
German population was
to bring about Hitler's pro­
79.9 million people. Out of
posed change agenda. More
than 90 per cent of the
population, fathers, moth­
ers, ministers and teachers
avoided the uncomfortable
populace whether with good
or bad intentions? Can good
intentions justify lies? How
can the populace identify
the good guys and hopefully
vote for them as opposed
to the bad guys who always
seem to triumph? Can we
judge our leaders by their
as a primary producer that
exports raw materials and
imports finished products.
The truth shall set us free
and as we proceed for yet
another jamboree of tribal
arithmetic and financial
largesse, let us be wise and
accept the resources poured
into our villages from be­
actions as opposed to their
words often laced with good nevolent and charismatic
intentions but hideously mis­ vote seekers riding in multi
leading in relation to their
coloured helicopters and
real intentions?
shiny top of the range fuel
It is a fact that we have
guzzlers.
been fed with the lie that
Let us make a pact to
Kenyans are so tribal that
the only sensible thing to
only vote for those people
do as a nation is to entrench
tribalism in our constitu­
tional framework.
This could explain the
47 county structure arrived
truth of what was happening
at to accommodate our 42
around them and to them.
ethnic groups and with extra
counties for subgroups.
Eventually the Nazis
even started targeting their
children and unfortunately
by that time they were too
late to do anything about it.
Terrible change had come
tions our nation stands on
This lie is inconsistent
with the quest for regional
integration and with any
sense of logic but as was
done in the dark history ear­
whom we can trust based
on their consistent true self­
less values of service and
integrity clearly displayed
in the consistent conduct in
their private and public lives
and not from the flowery
pledges aimed at exciting
desperate Kenyans seeking
an imaginary Utopia through
an imaginary saviour.
The lessons of history are
on our side, let us use them
this time round.
as they watched from the
Ipsos Kenya ­ Acorn House,97 James Gichuru Road ­ Lavington ­ Nairobi ­ Kenya