Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

One government operative gave a very interesting response to a Kenyan on Twitter who asked for his opinion on the appointment of 50 Chief Administrative Secretaries. The economics guru response was interesting as he alluded that the CASs were just getting their political rewards, just like he did.

Well, while mama mboga, mtu ya boda boda and wale watu ya chini are waiting, the positions are being dished out thick and fast. One musician once called Kenyans wajinga (fools) for their political choices and I was among those who faulted him for banding all of us together.

You see, some of us are students of Plato and we believe there is no art for art’s sake. Art should moralise and that diss track on YouTube did anything but moralise or even act by disclosure.

Today, you would expect artistes to rise to the occasion and help the public understand that Kenyans are not stupid, but a creed of the political class is hanging us on this hill and treating us like we are all stupid. Well, maybe we will be. That is if in 2027 we will wilfully suspend our observation of how the current regime is rewarding mama mboga to deny it the power to continue changing her life.

Today, no position has been created for wadosi. They have kept their campaign promises. The mama mbogas they gave tickets to contest but did not make it to elective positions have been brought to the table. Some are nominated to Parliament while majority are now CASs. These are young, energetic mama mbogas, watu ya boda boda and watu ya chini who have been elevated to the decision-making table. They will address the plight of the poor and as our Deputy President has repeatedly said, they are bringing in fresh and new energy.

In fact, the government has saved a good number of billions in budgetary allocations because the 50 CASs are simple people who will need no state-of-the-art cars, mortgages or staff and functionaries. They are watu wa chini who will serve mwananchi and they don’t need the opulence that comes with State power.

We love this regime because it has been gracious enough to go beyond the political divide to appoint to these CAS positions mama mbogas who did not support their quest for power. Yes, Mama mbogas who have been loyal to the other side and have repeatedly abused the President and his deputy, but have nevertheless been roped in for the good of the country.

Forget about the detractors, the regime has so far delivered to the hilt. In fact, to deliver beyond their promises, they have created a bigger table for mama mboga. The number of CAS has been increased and where President Uhuru Kenyatta had one CAS for a mdosi this pro-mama mboga regime has created more, in certain cases three positions to accommodate mama mboga, mtu ya boda boda and yule mtu wachini.

Why wouldn’t Kenyans retain this regime come 2027 and what would make hustlers complain that the cost of living is high when they can see the deliberate efforts the regime is making to cut costs by employing mama mbogas who cost the taxpayers far much less than wadosi?

Today, Kenyans are happy. Happy that finally we have a regime with people like them in government. Men and women who know the struggles of the mwananchi because they have been hawking mboga and mahindi choma and come with clean track records.

Some of these CASs come with wealth that needs not to be declared because for most, the capital of their businesses was probably worth less than the suits they had to buy for the interviews and parliamentary vetting and photos with the President.

The appointment itself has bankrupted them. But these are young, energetic men and women.

This administration has done well to settle on a fairly representative group of 50 young Kenyans who will be oriented into politics for even a greater future for mama mbogas and wale watu ya chini.

— Hansen Owilla is a PhD candidate in political communication