I would want to start with a thought-provoking question: if leadership is offered cheaply, how do those who buy it perceive it?
Here is a fact often overlooked: Kenya’s by-elections have become a marketplace of influence rather than a forum for ideas. Where leadership is not put to the test, it is traded. Candidates roam around using mobile money rather than manifestos. Where presents, not vision, are used to court communities..
From Mbeere North to Malava, from Magarini to Kasipul, the political drums are beating with unprecedented ferocity as Kenya prepares for by-elections on the 27th. The races may be local, but the stakes are national. The tension is electric. What about the tactics? Let’s say creativity is on steroids.
You might think it’s Christmas in November if you stroll through certain areas. Last month’s empty pockets are now filled with cash. Suddenly, the fuel tanks are full. Brown envelopes, shopping, motorbikes, T-shirts, and even “help for funeral expenses” are examples of how the campaign season has transformed charity into a sophisticated political tool..
Door-to-door squads are combing every homestead.
Some candidates take spectacular kneeling positions.
Others arrive with promises so polished you’d swear they were made in a Swiss workshop.
And the voter?
The voter is now a customer, an investment, a negotiating tool, and, regrettably, occasionally a pawn.
But let’s delve deeper.
The Real Danger
The tactics, while familiar, are not the source of concern.
The real concern is how common and normal they have become.
Democracy changes when candidates outwit one another using inducements rather than ideas.
When the ballot becomes a marketplace, accountability is optional.
When leaders buy their seats, they approach the office with receipts, not obligations.
Ironically, the communities that get gifts today will want development from leaders who have already paid their dues in cash rather than service.
Bribery in politics is not generosity.
It’s a down payment for silence in the future.
A Call to Voters
If you must accept something, do it with your eyes open—but vote with your conscience ablaze like a candle in the night. Because the consequences of selling your voice do not end at 6 p.m., when polls close. They linger in classrooms without teachers, hospitals without medicine, and roads that disappear when the rains fall.
This season of by-elections is a test..
Not of politicians — they will do what politicians do.
But of voters, who must decide whether to sacrifice survival today for future suffering.
When campaigns come knocking, open your eyes before opening the door.
Listen to your mind before your stomach.
Vote for the vision, not the envelope.
Because leadership cannot be purchased—it must be earned.
What are your thoughts? Your voice is important, so please share your opinions in the comments section.
The author is a strategy and governance consultant, leadership trainer, and university lecturer. She writes about leadership, workplace fairness, and the ethical dimensions of management. They consult and train on Strategy, Governance, Leadership, Team Development, Business Essential Skills, and Business Development Services(BDS)
Email address: info@marymugo.com.
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