Covid-19 should help you identify leaders who care

The Covid-19 positivity rate has jumped from below five per cent to nearly 30 per cent in a fortnight, fueled by the new Omicron variant that is reputed to spread faster than earlier variants.

While such glum news should actually make us pause in our tracks and reflect on the next course of action that will keep us safe from infections and the attendant cost of treatment and isolation, our politicians are still convening massive campaign rallies to drum up support for the their political outfits in the August 2022 General Election.

To our politicians, Covid-19 does not exist and they therefore don't even care to talk about it in their numerous rallies across the country. Their cavalier attitude is largely responsible for the dismissive attitude some citizens have towards Covid-19.

Indeed, from comments espied on social media platforms, many citizens believe Covid-19 is a hoax the government uses to get donor funding for projects that hardly see the light of the day. That is a dangerous attitude that keeps many Kenyans at risk of infections. Covid-19 is a global threat we must take seriously to overcome to move our flagging economy forward.

The comportment of politicians simply tells us that they care little about our lives. To them, we are mere statistics; mere stepping blocks to the high offices to which they aspire. Past experiences show that once politicians get to office, their preoccupation is with feathering their own nests until the next elections are due, then they come back with false promises.

The Kenyan voters must stand up and say no to being used as doormats by unscrupulous politicians. Say no politics of division and stay away from politicians who play the tribal card instead of unifying the country.

The voters have a duty to listen to politicians and sift fact from fiction. Based on what they see and hear from the horses' own mouths, voters should make wise choices. It is unlikely a leader who exposes the public to danger via super-spreader rallies now will take care of the people once elected.