On some level, we all know the reason for this undignified display. It's a weapon of mass distraction. The textbook term for such diversionary tactics is the "dead cat strategy”. It's derived from the vivid analogy that if you throw a dead cat onto a table during a heated discussion, the conversation, however unpleasant, will inevitably shift to the cat.
Similarly, in politics, sparking a “war of words” or making a shocking announcement serves to divert attention away from more pressing matters thus capturing the focus of the media and changing public discourse. It's a remarkably effective political manoeuvre because it takes advantage of our innate fascination with any form of conflict - even if it's of the contrived variety.
It's a national preoccupation to look back fondly on the Kibaki years. Given the prevailing air of discontent, the reasons are obvious. After decades of mismanagement, Kibaki set the nation on a prosperous path. He was quietly competent and led a government that poured its energy into governance instead of empty political theatrics.
The contrasts with the current crop of leaders couldn't be starker. They have enshrined a culture of politics as entertainment where the country is on a permanent campaign footing. Of course, none of this is new. Leaders - from Caesar to Napoleon - have always angled to own the narrative. What's new is their increasingly sophisticated prowess at doing so.
However, as is evident from our present experience, electing entertaining but functionally inept politicians to power creates a perverse incentive system. We end up with charismatic leaders who lack the skills to govern effectively. The media has a big part to play in reinforcing this crucial lesson.
There is an old story about the elder who wanted to educate his grandson about how the conscious choices we make in our day to day life have the power to determine our destiny. It's often called the allegory of the two wolves. In the story the grandson is told there are two wolves within us. One represents anger, jealousy and negativity. The other embodies love, compassion and reason. These wolves are locked in constant battle. When grandson asks which wolf wins, the elder replied: "The one you feed."
The story offers a powerful metaphor for the media's role in shaping our political landscape. It can cultivate our virtues or indulge our worst self-destructive vices. It's ultimately a choice. As the legendary Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Carl Bernstein famously said, the media’s core mission is to filter our shared reality for the “best obtainable version of the truth”, not to elevate political narratives.
One way to break out of this cycle is remove overheated phrases like “supremacy battle" and the like from our political coverage. This reliance on sensationalist language robs journalistic reporting of its necessary nuance and depth and reduces complex political issues to mere spectacle. As George Orwell cautioned us in his famous essay "Politics and the English Language," we must be wary of language that numbs us to reality.
The stakes are high. Eight million Kenyans didn't see the point of voting in the last election. I would wager this apathy was partly down to their disillusionment with the appalling state of our political discourse and its propensity to give the currency of publicity to bad ideas.
Centering political coverage on substantive policy issues rather than sensationalist conflicts would provide the public with a clearer understanding of the stakes and the real impact of political decisions. By focusing on the issues at hand, the media can hold politicians accountable for their policy positions and governance records, rather than allowing them to hide behind manufactured controversies.
Lawyer and media practitioner
