KAIKAI'S KICKER: Politics of cutting your nose to spite the face...

Remarks by nominated Member of Parliament Joseph Wainaina Iraya made rounds on social media and are unworthy of a replay on this or any other decent platform. But MP Wainaina’s remarks got me curious; how exactly did he pull that one? Threatening members of his own community with potential displacement; perhaps of the kind witnessed in the 2008 post-election violence?

I got thinking – what exactly goes on in such a mind? Then it occurred to me that the nominated Member of Parliament is not exactly the pioneer of potentially absurd remarks, made in the heat of politics, or should I say fits of loyalty or perhaps bursts of political sycophancy…

Just a year ago, a group of MP Wainaina’s parliamentary colleagues from Kiambu County were saying rather interesting things. It was the height of political tension in the ruling UDA party in the aftermath of the impeachment of Rigathi Gachagua; and with the former DP causing ripples in his Mt. Kenya backyard, a section of leaders responded with proposals to hive Kiambu County off the Mt. Kenya region… Listen to this…

Yes, Kiambu County was to be hived off Mt. Kenya; some proposed the creation of a Mt. Kenya South… But that conversation died off, or should I say, shifted eastwards? Yes, Mt. Kenya East is the latest proposal on the table as the fight for Mt. Kenya political supremacy between former DP Gachagua and current DP Kithure Kindiki enters the pre-election stage.

From nominated MP Wainaina to CS Ruku and before them, the Kiambu group, it is curious just what the thought process is… Is it about demonstrating loyalty or sounding politically correct, or is it just some appetite for the ridiculous?

If ever ‘cutting the nose to spite the face’ was a person, Kenyan politics produces several finalists.

That is my kicker.