Serikali Tafadhali: Population Infantilization

Modern times are a study in the black arts of reducing thinking feeling people into selfish automatons. Thus, the “serikali tafadhali ingilia katikati” (government please intervene) demographic is gaining proportional ascendancy. Gone are the days when do-it-yourself was the best way to get anything done well. As soon as problems crop up, these people lay them at the feet of government.

But this is only to the people’s detriment. The government understands that adopting the people’s shirked problems is really a grab of increased power over the people. Continued over-reliance on government breeds an unhealthy patrimonialism in the governor. Democracy’s power is supposed to reside in the people for the people’s benefit; but the “serikali tafadhali” criers make the government think they are demigods. “Look! The confused rabble prays to us!” And the fruits of such bootlicking ripen in election year, when the candidates compete in giving rambling boastful speeches full of grandiose hot air – promising “favors” their government will do for the people, favors to be purchased by their votes.

No government, not even a democratic republic, drives around in Jeeps distributing constitutional rights to bystanders and passers-by on the street. The people have to know their rights, to take their time and know that government is limited in means and scope, and to keep government from infringing on their rights. However most MPigs and Kenyan politicians believe the best approach to take in any hairy circumstance is to throw money at the problem. To them, the powerful are those who man the tap. Subconsciously this betrays their love of money, that they worship it so, to esteem it omnipotent.

But the love of money is the root of all evil. Because we see our leaders in love with money, we too lust after it. Greed begets corruption, moral and fiscal. And then society becomes merely some people the national boundary enclosed, the national flag labeled and the national anthem satirized. Why? All because some people couldn’t stop saying “serikali tafadhali” about problems they shouldn’t have relinquished to anyone. They made themselves babies and begged the government to be their father and mother.