Misology is hatred and fear of reasoning. The philosopher Plato talks of people full of disgust for logical debate. They distrust argumentation and locking of minds over ideas and issues. Such characters are in their element when they are alone, hurling insults in contexts in which they cannot be questioned. Such people dominate Kenya’s political class. You see them everywhere in Jubilee and in NASA. They are afraid of the reasoned argument and excel, instead, in whipping up crowd hysteria.
In the dramatic work titled Phaedo, Plato recounts a conversation depicting his teacher, Socrates’ last moments. The sage says, “There is no greater evil one can suffer than to hate reasonable discourse. Misology and misanthropy (hatred of humankind) come in the same way. Misanthropy comes when a man without knowledge, or skill, has placed great trust in someone and believes him to be altogether truthful, sound and trustworthy. Then, a short time afterwards, he finds him wicked and unreliable.”
We have invested our trust – some of us – in NASA and in Jubilee. We who have no knowledge or skill of statecraft have trusted Kalonzo Musyoka of NASA. Others have faith in Deputy President William Ruto. Like Socrates, we believe that they are “altogether truthful, sound and trustworthy.” That was why on Monday we stayed at home, or scrambled for space in social places, expecting to listen to their wisdom. We wanted to hear them answer questions on our country. Yet, have they behaved in style the philosopher would call “wicked and unreliable”? They scornfully spurned the deputy presidential debate. Their attitude all but said the debate was beneath them.
If they cannot come out to be quizzed, how shall we trust them with power? NASA craves political power. Yet the leaders will not subject themselves to scrutiny and interrogation. They “hate reasonable discourse.” Jubilee are in their element when appearing to abuse power and telling tall stories about imaginary achievements that can only be found at www.delivery.go.ke. When we crave the opportunity to ask them about these invisible digital things, they give us the cold shoulder. They don’t want to clarify issues about their four years of perceived – and I suspect real – corruption. Yet we are supposed to extend their tenure in three weeks’ time.
Jubilee and NASA have placed our individual and collective national conscience on the weighing scales. After Monday’s deputy presidential fiasco, it is difficult to vote for either side and sit well with your conscience. And I suspect leaders of these two political formations know Kenyans are a people whose conscience a rat has eaten. Kenyans are not, therefore, capable of making conscientious choices.
This would explain why publicity loving politicians would give the cold shoulder to 90 minutes of free live prime time television and radio on virtually every channel in the country – telecast simultaneously. Without good reason, both Deputy President Ruto and his NASA shadow Kalonzo spurned the debate with astonishing impunity. What did they think of the public that eagerly waited for them, at home and in social places?
The searchlight now shifts to President Kenyatta and his main challenger, Raila Odinga. Early indications are they intend to play the same soiled card. President Kenyatta is reported to be planning a town hall meeting, where he will star alone. Make no mistake, the president expects to field questions from selected individuals in a choreographed forum. This is contempt for the people and for public accountability. Here is a president who does not think the people have a right to question him. If he cannot debate on Monday, he should spare the country the mockery of the so-called “town hall meeting.”
NASA and Jubilee leaders have engaged the public over the past few months with deafening noise. They literally explode in front of frenzied ethnic crowds and shocked citizens of conscience. They gravitate from pillar to post and post to pillar, clad in branded colours, mouthing insults. You can predict in detail what they are going to say. For they say nothing new. Even at the level of rudeness, they cannot think of a fresh insult. The journalists covering them should know we are getting tired of listening to the same slurs everyday. If they cannot even advance an old insult to give it a whiff of freshness, then we probably should not bother giving them more publicity. In any event, they have demonstrated that they don’t need publicity. They can be very tedious, these gentlemen.
Meanwhile, we have fringe candidates behaving the same way. You would have thought they would seize the opportunity to come out and begin getting known. You cannot write them off, ultimately. Yet wouldn’t they probably know that they are only raising the curtain on future assignments? In the post Jubilee and NASA dispensation, a tired country will be seriously looking for a new crop of leaders. This is where the alternative candidates come in. When they begin displaying the same arrogance as those they purpose to replace, we begin questioning the wisdom of sparing them a favourable thought.
It is in order, however, to salute the solitary individual who honoured the invite to debate on Monday. I don’t know anything about Muthiora Kariara and his presidential candidate. His humility and spirited effort, however, begin troubling my conscience. How will I walk past him to give my vote to Jubilee or NASA? My conscience is on trial in this election. Meanwhile, I am waiting for President Kenyatta and NASA’s Raila Odinga on Monday. I will throw them in the gutters if they don’t debate.
- Mr Muluka is a publishing editor, special consultant and advisor on public and media relations [email protected]
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