A deer is drinking at a river, admiring its beautiful antlers. He then notices how small and weak his legs look. Just then out of nowhere, a hunter approaches and shoots an arrow.
The deer runs into the woods and realises that it was thanks to his legs that he survived. While he is looking at his legs, his antlers get caught in the trees. The hunter catches up to the deer and kills it.
We often despise what is most useful to us. We think we are too small to make the change that is required. But our greatest weakness can be our strength if we know how to utilise it well.
Where am I going with this?
I was having a chat with some friends, and one of them asked us if we would elect former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko as chairman of the local funeral committee, or chairman of the local estate association.
We all said a resounding no. But we also collectively agreed that in 2017, we were all okay with electing him the governor of Nairobi and putting him in charge of millions of residents and responsible for billions of shillings.
Why the discrepancy and hypocrisy?
Sometimes, I have heard people say that the public has no say in who is elected, with some even claiming that leaders are chosen in boardrooms and endorsed at the ballot. I do not agree with this notion. We must exercise our power as the people assertively and responsibly.
I remember in 2017, wananchi choosing Ferdinard Waititu over William Kabogo in Kiambu despite the latter's impressive track record, then lamenting later that the county had stalled in development, with corruption at an all-time high.
In Nairobi, it was the same case. People were saying they would have rather elected former Cabinet minister Peter Kenneth or even retained former Governor Evans Kidero instead of electing Sonko, who was eventually impeached and faces various charges in court.
Every day on social media, you will see people complain about the country’s leadership. Currently, everyone cannot understand how the MPs they elected to work for them have allowed prices of basic commodities to go up due to new taxes.
If you actually look closely, many MPs were not in the House when the debate on the taxes came to the floor. If you re-elect them next year, who is to blame?
What happens to us during election time? Why are we so keen to shoot ourselves in the foot? Why do we knowingly choose to elect thieves, then become surprised when the thieves start to steal?
Why do we elect politicians with poor track records then turn around and start complaining when they do not deliver?
We must elect leaders who embody the best in us. Leaders who are better than what we are, and show us what we can be.
Donald Trump reflected what a majority of the American population is, and look where it took them. But they appeared to have learnt their lesson and elected Joe Biden, who now appears to represent the best of America, showing what America can be.
Which MCA, MP, senator, governor and presidential candidates reflect the best in us? The best of what we can become? Once we answer this question and elect those leaders, that is when this nation will have exponential growth, and we will truly transform lives.
We must break the pattern of electing incompetent leaders. Kenya has leaders who have been proven locally and internationally and who should be among the people we elect next year.
It makes no sense for us to elect mediocrity and complain for the next five years as we wait to make the same mistake in 2027. If we want change in Kenya, we must start with our choices on election day.
Our weakness as the electorate has been making the wrong choices at the ballot. Next year, we must turn this into our greatest strength and avoid being trapped in a web of deceit and mediocrity after the election.
