It’s now over 17 years ever since I joined national politics straight from being a students’ leader at Kenyatta University. In 2006, I joined a major political party at the age of 24 years, being the youngest in the team, followed by Susan Mang’eni, now Principal Secretary.
We were in a team of very experienced politicians as National Executive Committee members comprising those who have gone ahead to shaped the last three general elections such as Uhuru Kenyatta, Raila Odinga, William Ruto, Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi etc.
During this period, I have learned a thing or two about loyalty and what constitutes it.
In today’s article, we shall focus on the five types of political loyalty, detailing what each one of them comprises. The aim of this discourse is to help inform those aspiring to get into this space to understand this rather rough environment that isn’t for the fainthearted.
The first type of loyalty is what we can call sycophancy, comprising diehards, zealots or loyalists. This is the primary kind of loyalty that any politician wants amongst his followers. It is highly valued in that someone truly and genuinely believes in the course of a given leader. It may border on fanaticism as embodied by such movements as Nyayoism, Odingaism etc.
At some point during the Kanu days, one person aptly asked if there was a Nyayo-meter to gauge the loyalty of party members. My fellow student leader and now Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga once put it on her loyalty to Raila that “Baba is right” all the time. Oloo Aringo once called President Moi as "prince of peace”.
The second type of loyalty is financial loyalty. As one currently prominent politician put it, “money can buy loyalty”. In this business of politics, cash is very much needed as it’s the one language that the voters understand. We are wired to eke out a living out of rather difficult circumstances.
The monetisation of politics thus makes sense for a people who are striving to survive. This makes politics very expensive in terms of the basic logistics such as campaign materials, PA systems, vehicles, media adverts, social media blitz, hosting people down to the handouts that one has to dole out to voters after you mobilise them to come to listen or cheer you, if not to fill the hall or stadium.
Anyone who thus gives financial support can easily buy loyalty hence position in politics. Indeed, a good number of people who end up occupying some plum jobs/positions in any administration are never visible during campaigns. They are usually in the background financing the front-liners, the latter being only the poster boys and girls of the campaigns.
Big contractors/suppliers fill up this space including successful business people who also invest in politics as a means of doing business with govt or at least to safeguard their interests. This way, they are able to buy their loyalty.
Indeed, there are some individuals who don’t hold any formal public position but are very influential in government circles. They have access to places and people that the mainstream channel wouldn’t easily procure. As the old adage goes, money talks and the Bible too state that it solves many problems!
The third type of loyalty is expertise. If you have a certain talent or professional skill, this also counts in politics. if you possess technical skills say in economics, law, IT etc it also counts, but this is secondary. Such people are needed to help craft a winning strategy and they will be the ones tasked with coming up with the formal work of things or gaining advantage over the opponents.
Such skills can be hired, but more often than not any political movement will need them and those who give them pro bono stand a better chance at advancing their political positioning. People like Otiende Amollo, Prof Njuguna Ndung’u, Dr David Ndii, Adams Oloo, Hussein Mohammed and Mike Gitonga etc come to mind as examples.
The fourth type is family loyalty. We all come from a family and it’s true that they do have a big say in politics. This explains why if you have an issue to address, one of the channels to use is a family member e.g. a brother or sister to the leader or a spouse.
It’s also true that some positions such as nominations have been given to relatives and family friends, especially on the gender top up in county assemblies and in Parliament. They may be competent in their own right but family is the key consideration. Examples include: Beth Mugo, Winnie Odinga, Oburu Oginga, Kennedy Musyoka, etc.
The fifth type of political loyalty is social loyalty. If you belong to a certain club of people e.g. those that went to the same school, play golf, etc, this too counts for loyalty. Girlfriends, mistresses, boyfriends and such relationships also fall here. It’s amazing how the latter counts a lot in politics. No one should lie to you that it doesn’t count. It does.
A combination of any of the above counts all the more!
“Politics is the informal that constitutes the formal”
Now you know!
