Did the electorate interrogate the kind of representative that were given the responsibility to represent them.....?

The role of elected representatives in any democracy is to act as the voice of the people, upholding their legal and moral responsibilities to advocate for their constituents' interests. In Kenya, however, there is a growing concern that these officials are abandoning their duties, failing to challenge questionable policies, and merely rubber-stamping decisions that align with the interests of powerful financiers rather than the public. This criticism highlights the capture of Kenya’s political system, exemplified by the current issues surrounding the Strategic Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), the growing influence of individuals like Adan, and the distraction provided by the impeachment calls against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua. If Kenya's representatives continue down this path, the country may face dire consequences, with those responsible insulated from the fallout.

1. The Strategic Health Insurance Fund (SHIF): A Policy Ignored by the People’s Representatives

One of the most glaring examples of this disregard for the public good is the proposed Strategic Health Insurance Fund (SHIF). As a policy, it was initially marketed as a step towards universal healthcare and a solution to Kenya’s overburdened medical system. However, many experts, including doctors and healthcare professionals, have raised alarm over its potential pitfalls. Doctors have gone on record to criticize SHIF, describing it as inefficient, poorly structured, and financially unsustainable. They argue that rather than addressing the pressing healthcare challenges in Kenya, SHIF could lead to more corruption and a collapse of healthcare access, particularly for the poor.

Despite these warnings, our elected representatives have shown little interest in listening to these expert voices. Instead of engaging in critical debate, scrutinizing the policy, or demanding accountability, many parliamentarians have chosen to support it blindly. Why? Because the real power brokers behind SHIF are not the voters or the experts but the financial backers who stand to profit from its implementation. This raises the troubling question: whose interests do our leaders truly serve?

By failing to interrogate SHIF and other policies that could harm the nation, our elected officials are not only failing their duty but are also aiding in the systematic dismantling of Kenya’s healthcare system. Their silence on the matter is a stark reminder that they are more interested in securing deals for themselves and their backers than in serving the public good.

2. Adan's Influence: A Case of Elite Capture

The situation is made worse by individuals like Adan, who seem to have captured not just the political system but the nation itself. Adan’s involvement in various lucrative deals, including those related to the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO), airport management, and the SHIF, highlights the extent to which a few powerful figures are able to manipulate the system for their own gain.

How is it that one individual can accumulate such influence over national resources without anyone in Parliament questioning it? Where are the voices of the people's representatives, demanding transparency and accountability? The answer is clear: those who fund the political campaigns of these MPs and Senators are the same ones orchestrating these deals. Adan and others like him have become untouchable because they control the very people who should be holding them accountable.

For the next 30 years, Kenya may be locked into deals that benefit a select few at the expense of millions. The airport agreements and energy sector contracts could drain public resources, leaving the country in a worse position while enriching a handful of individuals. Yet, no one is asking the hard questions because those who should be asking them are in on the game.

This state of affairs reveals the dangerous reality of Kenya’s political system: it has been hijacked by an elite few, and the representatives of the people have become nothing more than pawns in their hands. This elite capture threatens to cripple Kenya’s future, as resources that should be used to develop the nation are siphoned off into private hands.

3. Diversion Tactics: The Impeachment of Gachagua

While the public's attention is being drawn to the impeachment calls against Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, other more significant issues are slipping under the radar. The focus on Gachagua, while serious in its own right, serves as a convenient diversion for those in power to push through unpopular deals without facing scrutiny. It is a classic tactic: create a public spectacle to distract from the real damage being done behind closed doors.

The impeachment saga provides an excellent smokescreen for politicians to avoid dealing with pressing matters like SHIF, KETRACO, and airport contracts. As MPs focus on political theater, the financial deals that will shape Kenya’s future are being quietly approved. In the grand scheme of things, the Gachagua impeachment appears to be a distraction—a way for the political class to keep the public and the media occupied while more significant, long-term deals are secured.

This situation is particularly alarming because it reveals just how easily Kenya’s political system can be manipulated. The people’s representatives are too busy clapping for the spectacle to notice, or care about, the corruption and mismanagement happening right in front of them. It is yet another indication that their primary concern is not the public good but their own political survival and financial enrichment.

4. The Impending Doom: Will the Political Class Fall with Kenya?

If Kenya’s political class continues down this path, the nation is heading for disaster. The deals being signed today, such as those involving SHIF and KETRACO, will have long-lasting consequences that will reverberate for decades. As Kenya’s public resources are siphoned off by a few elites, the economy will stagnate, infrastructure will crumble, and healthcare will become even more inaccessible.

Yet, the political class seems unconcerned. This raises a crucial question: do they believe they are immune from the doom that awaits Kenya? Perhaps they are. After all, the political elite often have ways of insulating themselves from the consequences of their actions. While the average Kenyan suffers from poor healthcare, unemployment, and rising costs of living, those in power will continue to live comfortably, protected by their wealth and connections.

This detachment from the reality facing most Kenyans is not just immoral—it is dangerous. A nation cannot sustain itself when its leaders are more interested in protecting their own interests than in governing. Eventually, the system will collapse, and when it does, the fallout will be severe. The question is not if Kenya will face this crisis, but when, and whether those responsible will face any consequences at all.

 The Betrayal of the People’s Trust

The current political situation in Kenya is a betrayal of the people’s trust. The representatives elected to serve the public have instead chosen to serve the interests of a few powerful individuals, like Adan, while ignoring the needs of the nation. Whether it is the implementation of SHIF, the KETRACO deals, or the distraction of Gachagua’s impeachment, it is clear that Kenya’s political class is more interested in maintaining their power and wealth than in fulfilling their legal duties.

If this trend continues, Kenya will face a bleak future. The country is being sold off, piece by piece, to those who care nothing for its development or its people. It is time for Kenyans to demand more from their leaders and to hold them accountable for their actions. Otherwise, the nation may find itself doomed to a future where only the elite survive while the rest of the population suffers.