When dictators want to have their way, they first kill the other pillars of democracy that act as a bulwark to their excesses.
Their transgressions can't be checked as a result. The other arms become so subservient to the whims and dictates of the executive that only the latter's biddings are considered useful.
Any divergent opinion or acts considered deviant are not only frowned upon but heavily trampled. Threats and blackmail become the order of the day.
The events of the past few weeks by ruling party Jubilee paints a picture of a country slowly but surely sliding to such abyss. The only oddity this time round is that the cheerleaders are not the cast of sycophants who normally surround the President and hail from his party, but a group that for years and even now has made the country believe that it is the paragon of the rule of law, democracy, a just and fair state.
Today, the country stands at the precipice of a dangerous tumble, thanks to the cynical connivance by people whose only refrain is to remain relevant politically. When politics become a career to certain individuals and acquiring or retaining power a do-or-die mission, then the country must brace itself for a difficult future.
We play poker with the state matters and flaunt power to subdue our opponents. The result is a lack of innovation as thinking independently is criminalised. The imminent death of jubilee Party is a sure reminder of what our body politic has sadly become — a laundry and conveyor belt at the convenience of politicians enjoying power.
It is politics bereft of vision. Expediency and short-term gains are given much premium as the country is permanently on 'reform-mode' to reflect the undying lust of individuals at the public's cost.
The result of all these is that democratic tenets such as individual worth, freedom, equality and minority rights are lost.
Economic and political analyst
