When Raila Odinga proposed talks between President Ruto and Gen Z, he received criticism from various online groups, including his Azimio co-leaders. They rejected the idea as outdated and urged tangible actions instead. This raises the question of the relevance of politics in today’s society.

Aristotle taught us that man is a political animal. But how does politics help us? This is a question Kenyans are asking the President and the legislature today. What use to Kenyans is politics? Our politics has created a country in which we breed wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice and government without a soul!

As we reflect on the state of our nation, it is worth considering the rapid industrialisation and economic success of the Asian tigers. These nations rejected the vices plaguing our society and achieved incredible progress in a few years. Can we not do the same? It is time for us to re-evaluate our priorities and strive for a political system that truly serves the best interests of the Kenyan people.

In this pivotal moment in our nation’s history, the political gods have aligned to give President Ruto a chance to root out all the vices in his government. The decision ultimately rests in his hands. Will he seize this moment and secure his legacy, or will he let it slip through his fingers? Only time will tell if Ruto’s luck will shine brightly or fade away.

Once upon a time, there lived a king who ruled his kingdom with an iron fist, yet unbeknownst to him, he suffered from a case of foul breath – surrounded by sycophants who were too afraid to speak the truth but only knew how to nod and smile. The king lived in blissful ignorance of his halitosis. However, during a heated argument with a close rival, the rival boldly pointed out the king’s foul breath, bringing the king face to face with an uncomfortable truth.

Shocked by this shocking revelation, the king turned to his sycophants in rage, demanding to know why they had kept his problem a secret. The sycophants replied, “Your Majesty, we assumed all kings suffered from bad breath.”

In a surprising turn of events, Ruto reached out to his rival, Raila, hoping to get an honest assessment of his “breath”. The irony is that it’s not Raila who is familiar with the stench of foul breath, but the people of Kenya. Unfortunately for Ruto, Raila has distanced himself from any agreement after public pressure.

As society evolves and technology advances, the traditional methods of political engagement may no longer resonate with the younger generation. Gen Z, in particular, are known for their desire for tangible results and immediate action. This shift in mindset challenges politicians to adapt and find new ways to connect with and address the concerns of the youth.

The call for concrete action over dialogue reflects a growing impatience with empty promises and a demand for real change. To remain relevant and effective, Ruto must heed Kenyans’ call to fix politics before fixing the economy! It took a ruthless general to turn South Korea into a first-world economy. Singapore, Malaysia and China fixed their politics first, then the economies fixed themselves. Without Joseph Stalin, Russia would not have industrialised. His methods were ruthless, but his end justified his means. He fixed politics, and then the economy fixed itself.

Kenyans are tired of the politricks in which wealth is acquired without work and commerce is conducted without morality. If we fix these politricks, the economy will fix itself. Kenya is at an inflexion point. We can either rise or go down. Kenyans are serving notice to either rise or go down. The x-factor here is our politics, which the gods have presented an opportunity to fix.

— The writer is an Innovations Evangelist and a PhD Candidate; machariamuhoho@gmail.com