Thread by @MarigaThoithi

Short thread

@RookieKE talked about the meme-ification of our president as possibly being an intentional ploy by his own team. I think that it's not only plausible but part of the bigger plan to help him appear friendlier and more relatable but also excusably incompetent

So think back to George W Bush. He was a genuine idiot but people felt that that could sit down and have a beer with him😄

People were distracted away from his stupidity with his relatability but he also had the goofy reputation,which allowed him leeway when he messed up

Reputations are crafted and carefully so.

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson is an Eton and Oxford boy, as smart as they come who has been documented to ruffle up his hair and dress down and make himself look foolish, just before the cameras get rolling.

The PM of the UK has perfected the goofy performance and it's capped off by the silliness, rambling and apparent confusion he feigns which disappears when the cameras are off.

We chalk off his decisions to foolishness and not to what it should be which should be to intentional mismanagement, malice, terrible governance and for example in the case of #COVID19 putting the elite above the life and health of ordinary citizens

I find it hard to satirise Bozo Boris because he will say things more ridiculous than you can imagine but it also plays into what I assume to be intentional effort to make him seem aloof and unaware, which helps when he makes terrible decisions

So back to our curse from the God of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti monster, the man we call our president.

Certain adjectives and terms have been used to describe him since he was running for office and have been consistent through his term.

We already know that they hired Cambridge Analytica to, among other things, shape his public image.

We never quite dug into what that image is that they needed to create

One, he's always been painted as Kamwana (young man) to help him be more relatable. The man is 58 years old. Kenya has a life expectancy of 66.4 years old

Two, he's been pointed out as funny and relatable. This has appeared in memes, videos, GIFs but he's also pretty good at playing to the gallery. I've seen it first hand esp his use of Kikuyu; it's grassroots and non elitist. He makes you feel like he's one of you

Three, he's pointed out to be an unwilling president who was only forced into power by his mother, or other dark forces, or the 'deep state'

Four, he's always painted to be a "good guy with bad advisors"

He's a man who is two white hairs away from being 60 who can't make decisions of his own but relies on these invisible forces which always lead him astray

Five, he's always painted to be the saviour of all Kikuyus and allied communities who would protect them from Raila who "would do all sorts of unspecified things to them should he ever get into power" (I'll express my anti-Raila sentiments another day)

Six, he's painted like a "fair but firm" leader, who is bringing back respect and leadership to the office of presidency, which some people feel Kibaki didn't bring to the table during his term.

Seventh, he's painted as democratic as compared to other regional and continental leaders like Museveni.

So he's "not as bad" and "at least we can criticize him without being killed."

I could go on but you get the gist. There's a carefully crafted image of the president and it's just not through his speeches. It's an image innocuously created here online subtly and propagated and justified so much that it starts to make sense

He has an image that is used to cover up the human rights abuses, political killings and disappearances, massacres,runaway looting and plunder, corruption, consolidation of power, incompetence, silencing of dissent, state capture broadly across the economy, crippling debt etc

His image is created purposefully and then quietly fed into public conversation through people online and offline who might but look or sound like they're innocently participating in political discourse but said enough times, these narratives get a life of their own

You might wonder why it's so hard to criticize a president who has done so undeniably badly. A man who has brought this country to its knees and the numbers prove it and so do our business, the economy and our lives

It's because it's someone's work to make excuses even before you come up with the criticism. It's someone's work to make all the justifications that are needed.

Someone is working full time to convince people to override their lived experience and logic and to believe the next lie and excuse that they have prepared.

Every time you accuse the government of corruption, do you always notice how the conversation always shifts to how "Kenya as a society" is corrupt and that they are just a representation of who we are and we're just annoyed because we're not in the position yet?

In summary, there's nothing accidental ,well intentioned innocuous about our Commander in Chief.

His actions are intentional, thought out, reckless, malicious and selfish.

There's no one to blame but him.

In a few months,we will be convinced that he needs another term in office or another position in government "for our good" but never forget that the object of power is power

You're either going to be a ladder for him to climb or an obstacle he needs to destroy or move aside

I'm all for making light of people and situations but make sure that you're not the butt of the joke, when making it. Make sure that your jokes about these strong men aren't working to soften their public image and humanise them and thus making it harder to critique them

@YvonneOkwara through her kicker is joining the dots of the days to come

Your president is consolidating power as you watch- The Judiciary, Auditor General, Governors, Parliament and it looks like the aim is to push the BBI through by force.

instagram.com/tv/CBU_7OkgwMj…

He's showing his brute force and this will only get worse in the coming months.

No one will be able to tell the king that he's naked. In fact what people will do is to strip down too so that he feels that he's comfortable.

There are no checks and balances left to challenge the presidency and it's moved from separation of powers to imperial presidency pretty predictably and our eyes are closed just a bit longer each time we laugh and lighten issues that will be dire very soon.

Oppression isn't accidental. Oppression isn't a result of ignorance. Oppression isn't

Oppression is intentional. Oppression is calculated. Oppression is built upon other systems of oppression. Oppression justifies itself and it makes you feel guilty for asking for freedom.