When someone asks me why I am not interested in political posts, I usually reply that I don’t wish to be poor!
Politics in Africa is mainly a dirty occupation and destroyer of good men and women. It also does the same to bad people.
Unlike in America, Britain, Germany, Japan, Singapore and other ‘civilised’ democracies, where political occupation is a calling, in Africa, it is about the self.
Few people seek political leadership in Africa with genuine motives or desire to improve the economy or living condition of the people that they represent.
The few that enter politics with honesty end up despairing or joining the gravy train.
Africa’s negative political economy is a marvel to behold.
It is built by professionals and unskilled men and women who are driven by unsatiable thirst to enrich themselves.
Because politicians in Africa don’t build economies for posterity, they eventually fall victims to their own wrongdoings.
This is because African economies as currently configured cannot support sustainable budgets, pension schemes, business and industry.
This means that when many politicians are voted out, they find it difficult to survive without state assistance.
Why do politicians become poverty- stricken after leaving elective offices?
For instance, thousands of past elected leaders in Kenya live in abject poverty and pecuniary embarrassment.
These politicians have themselves to blame for their predicaments.
Instead of playing their legislative and oversight roles as protectors of public resources, they choose to undermine the law and engage in corruption, thereby becoming enemies of development.
An example of a typical political greenhorn in Kenya is either a businessman or woman with questionable sources of wealth, a sibling of a departed elected politician, a retired or retiring civil servant with money bugs at their disposal, a controversial religious or public figure- in a nutshell a mix of the bad and good characters.
Ever wondered why every election loser aim is to be recycled back into government?
In fact, state bodies and foreign missions have become the solution to salvage financial dooms of many politicians.
Consequently, this largesse political economy in Africa has made economic and political environment even worse.
Certainly, African countries cannot expect to prosper economically if leaderships continue to promote cronyism.
Kenyans will be shocked to learn that a Bill is pending in Parliament seeking to compel the government to pay some former councillors Sh100, 000 monthly pension.
As usual the sly legislators want to sneak the Bill in order to set precedence for future Bills that would require Taxpayers to shoulder the costs of paying living expenses to every living Kenyan who has held elective office.
The MPs who are supporting the Bill argue that despite their ‘contributions’ to the country, former councillors are now poor ordinary citizens.
How could they not suffer if they failed to fight corruption and mismanagement of public resources?
Where does those supporting the idea of such pension payouts expect the money to come from when they too are not behaving any better?
By and large the answer lies at the level of elective leadership, whereby those seeking public offices should be honest, selfless and patriotic citizens.
Short of this, the politics of largesse in Africa will always welcome, support and destroy many men and women without mercy!
This is my justification for not seeking elective posts in the current political dispensation in Africa and in my country.
Perhaps a time will come during my lifetime when it won’t be risky to do so. Perhaps.
Kaunda wa Muchunku
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