Stop emotional exploitation of gullible Kenyans by politicians

UDA supporters during a past rally at Nyayo Stadium, Nairobi. [File, Standard]

Those of us who easily clap, cheer, and praise politicians in the heat of the moment need to listen keenly to the caution not to "applaud and validate lies." Political events can be emotionally emotive. Politicians and their supporters ride on high emotions to affirm each other. Feelings play a significant role in hyping political discourse, including lying, attacking, and rebutting. Remove feelings from political gatherings and you have no political rally. By and large, this is a political culture that negates political discourse that is sober, factually engaging, and constructively manages differences.

Our experience in Kenya is no different from many other countries. Politicians take to the podium and start generating hyped statements with emotional appeals. Some are absolutely meaningless but delivered in a way that is entertaining to attract applause. This is where the danger is.