Are you a Kenyan and on the internet? Congratulations. Look around you. You're better than those who don't. According to some imaginary polls, the internet basically makes you a better human being on almost every single level. You're probably looking, smarter, more logical and also probably better in bed.
I've been seeing this argument posted in one form or another on social media. That since we are exposed to different sources we are better placed to make choices. Somehow this argument has mutated further to mean people who have internet access are posh and are thus apathetic to the needas of the 'common man.' We are too busy discussing ideologies that the lower man can barely comprehend in their little tribal minds.
I have made peace with the fact that we love to be different. That we are always trying to be higher on some invisible totem pole. In a rat race that is as frenetic as it would be in the backstreets of any city. My generation was meant to be our saving grace. The generation that would deliver us from the scourge of tribalism that our parents supposedly tried shoving down our throats. We grew up on tv & grew up in cosmopolitan areas and then discovered the internet. And somehow we convinced ourselves that we are better than generations that came before us.
But look in the forums of social media & that story is different. While we are better informed, we still hold on to bigotry. I venture to think that in some ways we might be a ticking bomb because we have learnt the art of political correctness. We say, act and feel what we are supposed to while we hide the real views under the surface.
The campaign season is now entering the home stretch. The political pundits won't let us forget it. Turn on your television and every channel has 6 analysts and experts. This is done in 3 different studios which simply means they have partitioned their main studio. Then they have the ' common mwananchi' standing by standing by somewhere ready to react to the reaction of the analysts to the stuff going on in politics.
It is during one such trip into this audio-visual assault that I found out that the top two equine creatures in the race had launched their manifestos. I can't believe I missed out on both occasions Then again all I would have to do to catch up would be to watch a sci-fi movie. Then the plans would be crystal clear.
Don't get me wrong...there are some genuinely good ideas in those manifestos. A million jobs, enhanced security, a bath tub for every dirty citizen etc. But for the most part it's all wool over our eyes. It's like trusting an alcoholic who is promising to clean up a bar without touching the liquor. At any rate my hat is still in this race so I might as well join the likes of people offering solar powered laptops to children who don't have desks or teachers. Lets raise the bar. Dream with me.
If I was to get voted in..(IEBC cleared everyone so don't look surprised) ..I promise to fill posts in my cabinet only with people who find it hilarious whenever they see car number plates which begin with KBJ. We need people with a skewed sense of humour at the helm of this country. Also within the first 100 days I promise to put a man on the moon. Which man? Probably Waititu. We'll aim for Rongai and see if we can find extraterrestrial life forms there. If not then we can settle for the moon.
