Disinformation clouds politics of food, hunger

Five inter-connected issues – electoral integrity, ethnicity, high cost of living, corruption and demographics – are defining this critical moment in Kenya’s electoral history.

Amid political fallouts and recriminations, citizens, media and civil society must fact-check candidates on public statements they make regarding livelihoods and runaway corruption extending to the politics of land, food and hunger.The social and economic factors underlying these challenges are apparently often overshadowed by ‘disinformation’, and ‘misinformation’ to distort facts and gain political mileage.

Almost identical – these two words with slightly different meanings are liberally applied to cunningly rally supporters and influence or control political narratives and electoral outcomes. Misinformation is “false information spread, regardless of whether there is intent to mislead”. Disinformation is “deliberately misleading or biased information; manipulated narrative or facts; propaganda”. On several issues defining this year’s election, Deputy President William Ruto, a vociferous campaigner with a populist agenda and well-oiled campaign machinery, is guilty of propagating both, notably on politics of food security and hunger.

It seems President Uhuru Kenyatta’s decision to abandon him and endorse Raila Odinga has provoked the DP’s wrath while intensifying his rampant ambition for the top seat.He incessantly criticizes his Executive partner, blaming every negative outcome befalling the country and the government they have served for two terms on the split and rapprochement with Raila.

Yet Ruto is quick to claim credit for the administration’s successes, insincerely masking the real intentions of his uninhibited ambition. Despite quitting Jubilee for UDA, he clings to his DP post, literally joined at the hip in the Executive. This is not a statesmanlike posture.Since nobody denies his democratic right to seek the presidency, he cannot abrogate himself the right to denigrate rivals on account of his political ambitions and subject Kenyans to condescending public statements on food and hunger to milk electoral dividends from a humanitarian crisis. As a nation, we expect no one to be left hungry and destitute and use hunger as a campaign device to govern. Food policy encompasses legislation, and all aspects of the production, control, regulation, inspection, distribution and consumption of commercially- and home-grown food. Personal ambitions should not encourage cheap politicking but collective engagement for a food-secure Kenya through rapid, sustainable agricultural growth, improving productivity and livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers.

The fragility of the global and our food systems was exposed by the food price crisis of 2007 to 2008, Covid-19, climate change (particularly drought), and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and cannot be blamed on President Uhuru or Azimio. Ruto has been in government circles since the 1990s to date and has served as Agriculture minister Throughout this period the food crisis has persisted. Disinformation must cease. We were already facing a food crisis before the war; food prices had tipped to record highs as the world struggled to recover from the pandemic to repair disrupted supply chains and soaring fuel and gas prices.

The conflict involving two of the world’s largest wheat exporters, and major producers of fertilizer, maize and vegetable oil, have driven prices even higher, placing food security at the top of the political agenda.

Truth is food security demands enforcing environmental protection and sustainable development to improve living conditions, combat desertification, land degradation and drought. Soil degradation is a major environmental problem requiring rapid remedial action, especially for the millions of smallholder farmers and the very poor in rural communities.

— The writer comments on political and social justice affairs

— albertoleny@gmail.com

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