Why Kenyan Politics Decides Whether You Thrive or Just Survive: The Truth About Our Daily Dependence On The Powers That Be

Let’s get one thing straight: in Kenya, politics is not just a seasonal circus you watch every election cycle for a laugh. Oh no, politics is that shadow puppeteer pulling strings on every little corner of your life. It seeps through the crevices of your pocket, slips into the classroom, makes itself cozy in hospital hallways, and lurks in your bank statements. But if you’re under the impression that keeping silent or “staying away from politics” will safeguard you from its clutches, you’re part of the grand illusion politicians sell.

Consider the classroom. The state of education is hardly by accident. Each dilapidated classroom, each overcrowded hall, each overworked teacher, and every underfunded school is a testament to the priority—or lack thereof—that our esteemed leaders assign to education. They’ll stand on podiums with chest-thumping speeches, assuring us of “free education,” but good luck finding desks that aren’t 20 years old or a school with an operational laboratory. Behind every child sitting on a stone instead of a desk, there’s a politician somewhere, smiling, ready to throw a few crumbs just before an election.

Then there’s healthcare—a beautifully tragic saga. Who wouldn’t want to trust their life to a system where a fever might just be mistaken for a ‘mild inconvenience’? Politicians seem to think health is a game, with lives on the line only when they need a dramatic campaign rallying point. Their children are treated in private, world-class hospitals abroad, but they ensure you must rely on health facilities that sometimes lack even basic painkillers. But remember, in their grand gestures, they’ll promise you more health reforms than you can count, while quietly pocketing billions through backdoor deals. Need heart surgery? Let’s hope you believe in miracles.

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The cash in your pocket—what little of it remains—is a political matter too. Inflation? Taxation? It’s all a side effect of politics. You think the rising cost of unga, fuel, or even that elusive piece of land you dream of owning is random? Those in power write policies that decide who wins and who loses. And let’s not forget, these policies are often crafted with the intent of keeping the regular Kenyan citizen right where they are—struggling to stay afloat.

Employment, too, is at the mercy of political puppetry. In a system where political alliances and loyalties matter more than qualifications, talent is not rewarded but suppressed. Jobs become favors, not opportunities, and youth unemployment is dismissed as “a generation’s weakness.” The economy suffers, of course, but rest assured, politicians’ personal portfolios remain pristine.

Banks, once your “safe haven” for finances, also dance to the tune of the political pipe. Each time a new law on lending or a sudden “bailout” for the already rich hits the news, remember that it’s your money being manipulated. Who can forget the infamous interest rate caps? Did it benefit the everyday Kenyan? Hardly. But it served the politicians’ corporate buddies quite nicely.

When politicians legislate—or don’t legislate—on infrastructure, we end up with highways that don’t last past the next election, potholes large enough to swal