• Political parties are formed for personal, often, financial gain, forget ideology or principle.
• Others form them for recognition and status.
Image: THE STAR
Political parties are very important instruments of democracy. Nonetheless, the instrumentation of democracy by parties since the advent of multi-party democracy, has taken a different twist.
Our political parties are no longer founded, formulated and, or sustained by either conceptual or ideological underpinnings, but are shamelessly driven by a quest for power.
The concept of political power in Kenya is very different. It is guided by the formations of coalitions, that is, political power is sought and possibly captured for personal gain. When leaders are voted into office, either in general or by-elections, they do not adhere to dictates of social contracts. That is, legislators or leaders, say in the National Assembly or the Executive, that is the president and deputy president, are not inspired by the service delivery.
Political parties are formed in the run-up to electioneering periods as a fishing net. They are places where money can and will be collected. Because these politicians, especially the founders of big political parties, must be cajoled and even bribed so a candidate gets a party ticket. That is clearly a fishing net.
When you look at the legal and policy framework guiding politics and political parties, you realise that we have no will or mechanism to enforce how political parties are supposed to run their affairs. For example, in the Political Parties Act and even in the Elections Act, you find that the greatest violators are political parties and politicians themselves.
Politicians are not willing and ready to be held to account. Secondly, most of them seem to be untouchable. The parties affiliated to Uhuru Kenyatta or William Ruto or Raila Odinga violate certain aspects of the law, say the Elections Act or the Political Parties Act. But you realise that nothing can be done to these individuals. They are second to God because they are untouchable. This also breeds the culture of impunity.
The other factor that makes individuals establish political parties is that they look at these parties as avenues for recognition and identity. Some politicians find pleasure in establishing, financing and sustaining a political party because then you are considered to have political muscle and leadership ability in Kenya.
The political analyst spoke to the Star