Kang'ata and Ndindi through Shakespeare's eyes

Irungu Kang’ata, who wrote letters warning of an impending political implosion in Mt Kenya in the last election, has dropped the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) like hot iron.

But since renouncing the ruling party six days ago, there have been no cheers for the governor. Instead, Mr ‘Kang’ata wa mabarua’ has a lot of explaining to do. For not disclosing his next election vehicle, he comes across as a paper tiger living on borrowed time.  

The ‘ground’ has it that the first-term county chief ditched UDA after seeing his ambition of becoming a presidential running mate go up in smoke in the unfolding 2027 arithmetic. If it’s true, then his ‘defection’ proves just how raw ambition can dilute even a promising career.

Mr Kang’ata should have stayed put and fought from ‘within’ to make the ‘wheelbarrow’ party appealing to his people. But having quit, he has made his bed and must now lie in it. Interestingly, his self-made dilemma mirrors that of Kiharu lawmaker Ndindi Nyoro.

The MP has lately trained his energies on ridiculing the government. He has spoken on basically everything from graft, rights abuses, the ‘sale’ of Safaricom and Kenya Pipeline to Turkana oil.

At the height of the fuel saga that forced the resignation of three Energy ministry chiefs on April 4, he alleged that ‘watu wa chini wamekula chakula cha mzee (junior officers have grabbed what belongs to their boss).’

That was an earth-shaking claim on the G-to-G petroleum importation framework that can’t be ignored. All of which raises questions: What’s Mr Nyoro’s endgame? Does he want to protect Wanjiku’s interests, or is he merely indulging in sentimental politics driven by sour grapes?

If the MP knows so much about graft, why is he not submitting this information through official channels so that those culpable can be held to account? When he makes claims in the news, what are ordinary citizens (who lack platforms or power) expected to do? For a man once touted as a possible Mt Kenya kingpin, Mr Nyoro’s new ‘modus operandi’ reeks of bad faith.  

Who shortchanged him? Is this about his removal from the Budget and Appropriations Committee’s helm? I fear that the man from Kiharu wants to appeal to Wanjiku’s emotion rather than reason. It’s called seeking power through fantasy or ‘hobgoblins’ to keep everyone in a state of alarm.  

I have free advice for Mr Nyoro. He must not talk his way into irrelevance just because he has bigger ambitions. Good leaders engage in good faith. Having several degrees or initiating projects and sponsoring self-congratulatory TV adverts is no substitute for statesmanship.

By the way, politicians who overestimate their worth often exit the stage ignominiously. It happened to former Rarieda MP Raphael Tuju when he tried to outstage enigma Raila Odinga in Luo Nyanza in the period leading to the 2007 General Election. Mr Tuju lost his seat.

Mark my words. If the Kiharu legislator continues down this ‘sleepwalking’ path, he risks burning out long before the 2027 polls. What to do now? He should resist the temptation to talk too much. Likewise, Mr Kang’ata must stop hiding behind sweet and soft words in media interviews. He should seek courage and confidence to make bold decisions and stand by them.

Besmirching President William Ruto and alienating everyone in the room isn’t the mark of great leadership. One more thing. Mr Nyoro and Mr Kang’ata are among our youthful leaders today. Have they lived up to the full promise of transformational leadership? Are they advancing the aspirations of the hustlers who voted for them in 2022? They know the answer.

This time, we need patriots who deepen inclusivity and turn the youth into change agents, not loudmouths who change parties and ‘spill the beans’ when things don’t go their way. For ditching Ruto yet lacking the courage to join DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua, William Shakespeare would call Mr Kang’ata and Mr Ndindi cowards. In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare says cowards die many times before their deaths.

-The writer is a communications practitioner