A leader would certainly become a ‘misleader’ so long as he does not clearly refuse to become the idol of the lead
Globally, Kenya is having impressive economic growth as measured by GDP, yet its citizens are ranked among the most unhappy people in the world, according to Gallup World Happiness Polls between 2003 and 2022.
Kenyans were among the happiest and most optimistic people in the world after the general elections of 1963 and 2002. The latest Gallup World Happiness Report of 2022 ranked Kenya in position 119 out of 146 countries, with an overall score of 4.54 out of 10.
The question is why are Kenyans unhappy? Two reasons in my view.
First, Infotrak Voice of the People polls released in December 2021 reported that Kenyans are unhappy mainly because of mismanagement by the government, rampant corruption, the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, unemployment, lack of affordable healthcare and high cost of living.
Secondly, GDP is not a good measure of life satisfaction and emotional well-being. GDP does not explain how people feel about their lives and what happens within them. GDP simply measures changes in national economic growth. Happiness is measured using gross domestic product per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make your own life choices, generosity of the general population and perceptions of internal and external corruption levels.
Therefore impressive economic growth does not necessarily translate to happiness for all people within a nation. The paraphrased philosophical argument of Aristotle, in support of targeting happiness, is useful here: Happiness is the ultimate goal of human existence because it is an end, not a means.
Things like political power, wealth and economic models: money in peoples’ pockets or open-ended social welfare funds, are means to make a person happy. So how could these things be goals of existence and happiness? Aristotle concluded that the ultimate goal in life is the desire to maximise happiness, not wealth or political power.
World over, people’s happiness improves when they elect competent and listening political leaders of integrity, with clean hearts and lips, to form a strong and responsible government. A strong and responsible government would formulate policies, procedures, and practices, and pass laws in a manner that does not accomplish very little today in exchange for greater cost tomorrow.
The functions of a strong and a responsible government are delivery of universal political goods such as human and property security; enforceable rule of law and inviolable contracts; a working judicial system and a set of values that legitimises and validates the local version of fair play; and the capacity of individuals to rally to each other’s support in time of need.
The presidential election of August 9, 2022, should be won or lost based on campaign messaging that would accelerate the happiness of the people of Kenya. Kenya is at a critical moment in history. The voters will be electing a transitional government and a fifth President. A desired president should be a person of vision, with integrity—virtuous character, and high moral and emotional intelligence competencies.
The fifth President should be ready to courageously stand alone to unite Kenyans into nationhood and say no to retrogressive yet popular campaign messages crafted to manipulate the voters for selfish and covetous interests to be elected.
Campaign messaging that prioritises fixing the economy, high cost of living, unemployment and poverty reduction is important but should not take precedence over post-Covid-19 pandemic stimulus packages and the happiness of Kenyans.
People who are happy are more energised to value the dignity of work, and make positive contributions to society’s well-being. They are also more likely to vote wisely in a general election; participate in public activities; have greater respect for justice, law and order; and would be more willing to help each other.
Even more important, a happy person will resist temptations to be bribed to vote for a populist of immoral and questionable character, or treat elected leaders as idols. Dr Bishop Henry Okulu, in his book Church and State in Nation Building and Human Development, opines that: “A leader would certainly become a ‘misleader’ so long as he does not clearly refuse to become the idol of the lead.”
Unfortunately in Kenya most leaders elected in political positions arguably enjoy being treated by the people they lead as idols.
“WATCH: The latest videos from the Star”
