What do we imagine a functioning Kenya looks like?

If you were to ask many Kenyans what they would want Kenya to be like, it would likely be things you would assume the government would have done by now – affordable and available food, health, education, transport.

However, politicians would like us to believe that the issue here is one tribe vs another. That division that was instituted by colonialists and politicians continue to use to their advantage.

In the US, Trump incited his followers to storm the capital and then after the fact, those are the people who are being sentenced. None of the politicians.

In 2007 and in the aftermath of the post election violence, the people who suffered were those who lost their people, their children. People died. Sometimes it seems like we forget that. And the people who killed, who live with the truth that they carried out these atrocities, fueled by politicians whose lives were not changed by the way.

And so when I watched the video of that politician talking about madoadoa, I was flabbergasted, not only by the audacity of his words but also by the cheers after these words were said.

Kenyans, Did we learn nothing? Do we not remember?

And as long as government continues to make the poor poorer and them reliant on handouts, there will always be someone cheering on tribalistic spews by politicians with ill intent. It serves the interests of the politicians for us to be divided. It serves the interest of politicians for Kenyans to believe that somehow their tribe is left out. Despite the fact that the only interest politicians serve is their own.

The truth is that, it is a cycle at this point – for four years, Kenyans suffer under these politicians and then one year, when the elections come around, the politicians lie and incite. We continue to suffer and to lie to ourselves that these recycled politicians will do better is to be foolish. And do you know who will help you when things become difficult? Not the politicians but rather that neighbour you were led to believe is your enemy.

In our day to day lives our differing tribes does not come into play. Yes, the government underdevelops certain regions in this country but I wish we all knew that this is by design. It is all part of the theater known as politics.

Please know that it means nothing to a politicians to play games with people’s lives. They do it all the time. They don’t care if we die as long as they attain/retain power and the money that comes with it.

A regular reminder that the division that exists in this country is the rich, politicos and their kin vs everyone else.

Keep that in mind when you are incited by politicians to harm your neighbour.

And you know what, all these tactics that rely on tribal hatred has been peddled since independence. And it hasn’t worked to make Kenya better. Maybe it’s time to try something new, like unity among the people to let these people (politicians) know that we refuse to be divided by them.