Mutua's PR Inroads Come a Cropper Thanks to "MaskaniConversationists"

Planning and action are (normally) based on principles and the lived realities that characterize the targeted people, communities, areas etc. They are often spelled out clearly in the workmanship of the intended action or project, for example roads, schools, hospitals et al. They are also revealed with much clarity - or otherwise - by the records churned out by the parties in question, for instance, government officials, media personalities, or even ordinary citizens.

If these principles are understood, then we can comprehend quite well why a poor nation like Kenya is dotted with a visibly moneyed elite (in the form of government supremos, politicos) whose endless greed for public wealth has reigned supreme - raping, maiming and leaving destructions of unimaginable proportions. 

We can also understand in great lengths why the historical patterns of Wanjiku's domination by the minority upper class have refused to change despite the enactment of the much touted peoples' Constitution some four years ago. This is generally because of the relatively constant nexus of personal interests and power from which they arise.

I would like to address this question in two different but inter-related perspectives. One, the reign of looters, public office profiteers, liars, war mongers, tenderpreneurs - yes all those Wananchis'  enemies you know - is coming to a tragic end.

Reason being, their modus operandi has been overtaken by events. The frontier-less power of social media is catching up with them. It is either they bolt out of their act completely, or they will be completely and painfully be outrun by the people/social media power.

Secondly, the traditional public relations gimmicks of displaying photos of incomplete and/or shoddily executed public projects have no place in today's Kenya. Any (mis)leader on a "mission" to loot should rather think of other means to cover his acts. 

Bombarding us with photos, videos, press briefs or parading gullible villagers on "project inspection tours" have their place in Hell – yes in Kamiti Maximum Security Prison. Not in a free Kenya devoid of these agents of darkness.

No amount of social media armies shall bring down the power of truth. The nation - and the people of Kenya - cannot eternally remain under the powers of propagandists and enemies of truth. The era in which government officials monopolized public discourse vis-à-vis  maendeleo is long gone. 

Which, therefore, provokes some burning questions: Why should a governor commanding tremendous respect for his innovative and citizen-oriented measures in service delivery attempt to hoodwink the whole nation by displaying photos of a shoddily constructed road? Did it dawn on him that fooling a people is not an eternal adventure? That you can fool some people some time but you cannot fool all people all the time!

Is he representative of a wider scheme by public service officials who showcase well choreographed development “milestones” that hold no tangible outcome on the ground?

It is time these people realized that the  "MaskaniConversationists" - (the young tech-savvy independent citizen-centered thinkers and defenders of public interest) - of this great country shall never maintain silence in the face of propaganda onslaughts.

Truth is their philosophy. Bringing down empires founded on falsehoods is their mission number one. Gadgets - and Internet - are their weapons. Operation Decimate anti-Wanjiku Spirits is their slogan and rallying call. Their vision is clear and simple: Create Kenya in which public service truly means PUBLIC SERVICE devoid of thievery.

And more importantly, all progressive souls have their places reserved in this "army". Just walk in and grab your place.

No doubt the prescription of our development - and economic - problems is more of "put money into infrastructure and the well being of the people will (positively) change". There is such endless trumpeting of more roads, roads and roads without insisting on respecting the acceptable quality standards that it assumes some sort of supernatural power to cure all our social, political and economic ailments at once. This myth-like quality, in my opinion, is the beginning of our downfall as a nation.

Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky must have thought of Kenya when they asserted In Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of Mass Media  that “In countries where the levers of power are in the hands of a state bureaucracy, the monopolistic control over the media, often supplemented by official censorship, makes it clear that the media serve the ends of a dominant elite. It is much more difficult to see a propaganda system at work where the media are private and formal censorship is absent. This is especially true where the media actively compete, periodically attack and expose corporate and governmental malfeasance, and aggressively portray themselves as spokesmen for free speech and the general community interest.”

So do we have anything to write home about when our much hyped “independent media” ignore their cardinal duty of looking for truth and interrogating in defense of public interest?

Journalism that digs not for facts is not a peoples’ journalism. It is a mouthpiece of the elites, thieves-in-suits, and rogue government bureaucrats!

It is for this reason that MaskaniConversationists have put their feet on the ground. They are there as agents of the public. You see, they bring to light what your media house cannot highlight. Their central thesis is to ventilate the thoughts, aspirations and feelings of Wanjiku.

This explains why we must be optimistic. Kenya must progress at the end of the day.

The writer is an Architect. Twitter:   @mlemukol.   Email:  lemoseh89@gmail.com.