SAM'S SENSE: Money for the vote

It's just about 13 months to the General Election, when millions of voters will troop to the polling stations to decide who will define their destiny for the following five years.

In the build-up to what promises to be a vicious campaign, it is also becoming dangerous. A young man was killed as he went seeking payment for other young people who attended a public meeting presided over by a Principal Secretary.

For many years, the political class has perfected the art of manipulation. They spend their time in air-conditioned offices meeting delegations and businesspersons looking for tender opportunities. And when they are not receiving delegations, they choose to go and meet voters in the villages. But before going, they must carefully plan, because now it comes at a cost.

When they land on the ground, they host delegations at their constituency homes. Not to discuss development programmes or the needs of the communities, but to disburse stipends for would-be voters.

They come to you asking that you "burn their gum", or release them, or send them home or simply, toa za cabbage.

Now, there must be something terribly dysfunctional here. A long time ago, men carried themselves with some pride. It would take misery for a man to openly beg for something, worst of all, food or money for food. And if push came to shove, they would speak to community leaders to organise a mchango to address an extremely dire situation.

But now? Young and energetic men wake up and walk the streets to beg. They ask around when the next public meeting is to be held—not to take part in public discourse, but to make some money for the day.

You may have heard of the visiting crowds that politicians ferry in buses from one whistle-stop to another. You may have seen videos of local leaders coaching young men and women sitting on the grass on how they will cheer when a national leader visits their town. Those coaching sessions come at a fee.

Well, oftentimes we are told that most politicians are also businesspeople, or that they have friends who support their causes. Maybe that is true. But how come those friends are only friends to politicians? What is at trade here?

You see, we are losing a generation to the politics of cash. Gone are the days when money was largely donated at social centres such as places of worship to support community projects. It was never about personal benefit for the congregants. It was a collective initiative.

That's why attendees at public and political meetings have learnt to organise themselves, appoint a leader to represent them in seeking rent. And if you don't pay, they punish you for it.

It is not surprising to see young people meeting at hotels for political sessions. Only that the majority of those youth are there for networking, which is simply about getting noticed so that you can be put on a regular list for consideration and be invited to sessions where transport reimbursement, lunch and refreshments are assured.

We cannot pride ourselves on being a progressive and resilient economy that is riding towards developed-country status when the majority of our young people are only productive at public rallies. We cannot claim to be an advanced democracy ahead of our peers in the region when all we do is cheat through our democracy.

This philosophy of "pay now, play later" in our politics will prove very costly for our delicate economy.

When delegations from a far-flung county visit State House and go home with some Ksh.15,000 per person; when professional teachers gather at the same facility and go home with Ksh.10,000 each; when small-scale traders are gathered for a national address and leave with Ksh.10,000 each, surely a village meeting must be paid for.

And then we see Members of Parliament raising the fee for an audience, setting a minimum tariff. There can only be one conclusion: either steal from the public coffers and bribe the voters, or raise cash from illegal businesses and use it to manipulate voters, in the hope that the vote goes to the highest briber.

What is the real price of a vote?

The second question is: What is the cost of a vote?