It's no longer tenable for leaders to hide behind the tribal card

President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua (left) at the KICC during a past event, April 11, 2023. [Silas Otieno, Standard]

Oliver Markus Malloy, German-American novelist, in his seminal book titled 'How to Defeat the Trump Cult: Want to Save Democracy?' writes that "The rich ruling class has used tribalism, a primitive caveman instinct, to their advantage since the beginning of time. They use it to divide and conquer us".

Oliver's sentiments are relatable in our Kenyan situation. June started with a rising political voltage, fueled by the supposed tension between President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua.

Some political interests closely monitored and nurtured the tensions, hoping they would precipitate into ethnic and tribal priorities.