In a country where corruption is both condemned and condoned in the same breath, one must ask: do Kenyans genuinely want transformation, or are we simply loyal to our own, regardless of the cost?
Just days ago, Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi was arrested by EACC sleuths. Reports indicate large sums of cash—both in local and foreign currency—were discovered in his home.
The evidence, by all accounts, was damning. And yet, rather than outrage, what followed was a protest. Not against corruption, but against his arrest.
Even more baffling, some of the most vocal anti-corruption voices on X (formerly Twitter)—people who have built entire personas on calling out graft—came to Wamatangi’s defense. They dismissed the arrest as a political witch-hunt, conveniently setting aside the evidence.
This isn’t a new script. In the run-up to the 2022 elections, many Kenyans openly admitted they believed then-presidential candidate William Ruto was corrupt. Yet, they voted for him anyway. “We know he’s a thief. We love him like that.”
So, the question looms larger than ever: are Kenyans truly yearning for ethical leadership? Or are we locked in a cycle of tribal loyalty, political vendettas, and selective morality?
Too often, it seems, the only criterion for support is this: is he fighting my enemy? If the answer is yes, then all sins are forgiven. Integrity becomes negotiable. Principles are bent.
This isn’t just political. It’s cultural. It’s tribal. It’s systemic.
We cry for change, but embrace the familiar. We rally for justice, but defend those who look or speak like us—even when they’re in the wrong. We are, in many ways, a nation caught between the desire for a better future and the comfort of old loyalties.
The truth is sobering: many Kenyans don’t want change. They want their tribal chiefs in power. Good leadership is secondary—if it matters at all.
Until we confront this hard truth, corruption will remain entrenched. Not because of the corrupt—but because of us, the enablers.
Let’s stop pretending. The real revolution begins not in the streets, but in our own mindset.
Commentary by Onyango Oloo on X platforms.
