In Kenya there are two brands of politics: Poverty politics (Siasa za Umaskini) and Progressive politics (Siasa za Utu).
Poverty politics is about politicians, it is centred on personalities and their greed. Progressive politics is about the people and their aspirations.
Poverty politics is driven by political conmen, corruption, and divide and rule tactics. Progressive leaders respect the people and their God-given resources.
Kingpins routinely manipulate and rob the people of their national and community wealth. The bare truth is kingpins can never usher change in society. Theirs is tragedy, drama,sarakasi tupu.
Personally and for all progressive leaders, we cannot qualify as kingpins because we refuse to use and dump people to promote our narrow self-interest.
We cannot be kingpins because the status quo drives us mad. Unemployment, peoples’ disempowerment, poverty, irritates us to our core.
I cannot be a kingpin because I am not obsessed with getting a seat, a motorcade, and sirens. I am obsessed with getting the people the best seat at the table of prosperity.
Each day I dream of working with others to midwife change, progressive change for our people. Kenya is our precious motherland and poverty politics wants us to forget or deny that.
Although we are a rainbow of 46 ethnic groups, Kenya is indeed one country. What unites us is not necessarily the flag or even our cherished Katiba. It is the economy.
The economy, The economy, The economy when all is said and done. No tribe has its own separate economy.
Therefore, the only road to true prosperity is nationhood. If we sow tribalism, we shall surely reap poverty.
We need to plant different seeds, to reap different fruits. It is time for our people to distinguish between lords of poverty and servant leaders.
It is time for poverty politics to yield to progressive politics.Nairobi, Kenya, 21 September 2021
The writer is Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana, a presidential aspirant under Muungano party.
The views expressed do not represent those of Kivumbi.co.ke
