By Dr. David Odhiambo, Diaspora Times Senior Reporter UK

“When the presidency becomes an ATM for political loyalty, democracy ceases to be a system of representation and instead becomes a theater of manipulation.“

What began as a subtle charm offensive by the President has quickly morphed into a coordinated campaign of economic coercion and democratic erosion. Reports now confirm that groups from Kiambu County were recently invited to the Statehouse and handed KSh 10,000 each, a payout masquerading as a “transport refund” but widely perceived as a political bribe. The goal? To soften public resistance and secure support for subdividing Kiambu, a politically sensitive region that holds both historical clout and electoral weight.

This isn’t an isolated act of generosity. It’s part of a broader pattern: gathering ordinary citizens under the pretense of consultation, then greasing palms with taxpayer money to manufacture consent. Such acts not only weaponize poverty, but they also insult national dignity.

The tragedy lies in the math: the very people being bribed are the same ones whose daily struggles are ignored in policy. The KSh 10,000 notes flashed at Statehouse come from the pockets of single mothers who pay VAT on cooking oil, boda boda riders paying fuel levies, and hustlers suffocating under punitive taxes. This is money that should fund schools, clinics, and social protection, not one-man PR operations wrapped in flags and praise songs.

Worse still, the use of bribes to buy public opinion contaminates democratic processes. When you pay citizens to applaud policy rather than debate it, you silence their right to dissent. When regions are balkanized through cash handouts rather than civic dialogue, tribalism becomes institutionalized. When the presidency becomes an ATM for political loyalty, democracy ceases to be a system of representation and instead becomes a theater of manipulation.

And what’s next? If this method continues, it sets a chilling precedent: that every objection can be bought off, that every vote has a price, and it’s disheartening to see the future of our children mortgaged for a few thousand shillings and a photo at the Statehouse.

To be clear, Kenya is not poor due to a lack of ideas or talent. Kenya is inadequate because of deliberate choices, choices like this. The President’s tactics may win applause in the short term, but in the long run, they are tearing apart the very fabric of our democratic institutions. We are witnessing the criminalization of poverty and the institutionalization of bribery.

We must ask: if leaders must bribe the people to accept governance, then who is governing who?

Disclaimer: This editorial is published in the public interest by The Diaspora Times as a voice for democratic integrity and fiscal accountability. We remain independent, factual, and fearless in the pursuit of truth.

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