2020 IN SCOPE: WHEN GIANTS FELL AND THE SYSTEMS REGAINED CONTROL

 

Looking back at January 2020 to now where we are less than six days into the New Year, many will find that this year was the moment where giants were felled and political systems took back control after being temporarily knocked out. The USA and Kenya provide good examples for this post.

Donald Trump is finally on his way out despite his futile lawsuits trying to reverse the fact that the system he had outsmarted in 2016 had finally returned him the favor. The methods were dirty and unworthy but whoever said that in politics exists angels? Joe Biden is expected to be the 46^th POTUS on January 20^th while Trump retires to Mar-a-Lago to run his businesses. Many people will be in for a rude shock if they think that Biden will prosecute Trump for his supposed crimes because you can bet with your last coins that it will never happen. For all his faults, Trump managed to placate the “deep state” and as such, he is assured of an event-free retirement. Things will still be the same in the USA, there will be deportations, tax breaks for the wealthy, and police shootings of unarmed minority people. The more things supposedly change, the more they remain the same.

Back in Kenya, our own system took down two governors and saved another one from impeachment. The impeachments of Waititu and Sonko while the acquittal of Waiguru, who is perceived to be the darling of the Kenyan deep state has defined the landscape of our politics. Waititu took the fall with unexpected grace and returned to his business while Sonko being himself, went down with a fight and lost terribly. He hurled insults at the bemused Senators who proceeded to put the final nail on his political coffin. 27 senators to be precise voted to end his colorful reign as Governor. Waiguru was saved despite glaring evidence that there was some malpractice in the handling of Kirinyaga finances but when the system has your back, nothing else matters.

Jubilee infighting was the norm as the DP handed Kieleweke troops one bloody nose after the other despite the system appearing to fight him. The recent Msambweni polls were the highlight of this infighting as the handshake candidate was chewed mercilessly by an independent candidate who had the backing of the sidelined DP. Going into 2021, we should not expect this to stop as the BBI drums keep getting louder and louder. The doctors’ strike has also ended, a reprieve for many of us who depend on the public healthcare sector for treatment, unlike the 1% who can afford the hefty fees charged by the overrated private hospitals.

What we all learned was that we should expect less from this government and be reliant on ourselves. The COVID crisis showed us this and with parliament under instruction from the IMF, votes to end the tax relief packages, we should brace ourselves for tougher economic times.