Political leaders should be wary of sycophants

On Raila’s part, he has less of Kenyatta’s problem in that he has a much more direct relationship with voters across the country. His regional lieutenants help, of course. But for most of them they need Raila more than he needs them. This arrangement also comes with problems.PHOTO: COURTESY

African presidents almost never lose elections. The operative word here is “almost.” In actual fact, a number of them have due to glaring pre-election blunders and a lack of information on the realities on the ground. Take Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia. In the early 1990s he realised that he was facing strong opposition from the trade unions and the newly formed Movement for Multiparty Democracy, (MMD). But his lieutenants assured him that all was well. That is, until the bottom fell out and there was mass walkouts from the party leading to his eventual loss in 1991.

The key lesson to be observed from the Kaunda experience is that those closest to the president typically have the most to lose by telling the president the truth. They are typically the ones who squander campaign funds.