Politics inspires more madness than religion

Religion has remained the main guide on all matters that affect humanity directly or indirectly. It is the single tool that gives direction to humankind and to which they listen unquestioningly.

Even as science pokes holes regarding the absoluteness with which religion should be embraced, many still believe that it is paramount.

Former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo famously remarked that he had no apology for being labelled mad about his county. He said it took a passionate level of madness to rule Nigeria.

Then there is the book by Ola Rotimi titled "Our Husband has gone mad again" which takes a comic swipe at the political terrain of Africa and the emotions and expectations it whips. Madness is again cited. It is an emotion of monumental psychological repercussions and for it to be used so frequently in discussions related to politics says so much.

In Kenya, every five years we have people running for office. While some have genuine ideologies they believe can transform the country, there are others who angle for leadership for all the wrong reasons.

The latter is the one that define the true genome of a country whose belief system is largely founded on the cardinal vice of corruption and all her byproducts.

Also read: Broke politician selling testicle.

Pursuit of power

So, hopes soar high as candidates position themselves to not only inherit power but also be able to distribute power to those that support their causes. While in most cases it is our husbands that go berserk every five years, there is also a legion of women bitten by the bug of pursuit for power and the promise of its trappings. Both men and women will pull all stops to win these seats or invest in the promises.

The political process is a season of lofty promises, and expectations that often come tumbling as soon as the few successful candidates assume power. While people who win rejoice in the glory of their achievements, candidates who lose are expected to hold their heads high and walk back to recovery mode because that is the essence of democracy.

The mad lot that suffers most though are the financiers. These are persons who put their money in the process whose outcome they cannot predict. The magnitude of investment in the political process dwarfs sports gambling by far if we were to compare.

That sane men and women who work genuinely hard opt to invest their hard-earned money in a process whose result they cannot guarantee is faith that beats even religion. Madness, is the only way to describe this.

So, for the many who do not read the holy books, the post-election era is now a season to either kill the dream carrier or wither off quietly under the weight of failed expectations.