Mr Kiraitu said that while he was being treated for the deadly disease last month, he had the opportunity to reflect and realize that politicians are living an unrealistic life driven by a desire to gain and maintain power.
He said politicians often allow their lives to be “stolen” by other people while being controlled by the relentless desire for money and power by engaging in unimportant responsibilities in life.
Quoting the book by Roman philosopher Seneca entitled On the Shortness of Life, Mr Kiraitu said political leaders are destroying themselves by enslaving themselves to a life of self-indulgence.
“The philosopher said that ‘our lives are trapped in a web of storms, we are being tossed to and fro by circling waves. This is the truth about my life. My life was stolen by politics and social pressure, ”he said.
He cited the example of ODM party leader Raila Odinga, who despite suffering from a corona, left home to join President Uhuru Kenyatta to inspect development projects in Nairobi to prove to Kenyans that their handiwork is still strong.
“As I read the book, I sympathized with Mr Raila Odinga who was weak from Covid-19 being ‘dragged’ out of bed so that he and the President could be seen together paving the streets of Nairobi and Kajiado, fulfilling political interests, showing Kenyans that I am still strong.
“Raila’s health was not given priority. Politics were introduced. His life had been stolen from him. He was living a life of self-indulgence. He was trapped in the waves and political storms that do not exist, ”Mr Kiraitu told the Daily Nation.
According to the governor, who is a lawyer, Mr Odinga’s lack of concern for his health is a reflection of how politics has robbed politicians of their lives.
“Our lives are not ours anymore. We are isolated from ourselves. We are always on the stage, showing off, wanting to be loved and loved and approved by others. We live a life of self-denial. We cannot think freely, ”he said. Mr Kiraitu, who is serving a first term as governor, said he regretted that politicians had lost their authenticity and independence.
“Even thoughts and voices are no longer ours. We live a life of fear all the time thinking about what other people think about us. We are always monitoring the political situation so that we can lean on the winning side. The corona treatment gave me a chance to reflect on my political life, ”he wrote.
The politician said that politics had taken away his life and his speech and his freedom of thought while always obsessed with victory.
“I was immersed in politics and the aspirations of others. If I had died of a corona, I would have died alone. Political noises would have continued without me. I have made the decision to love myself from now on and save my life, ”he said.
Mr Kiraitu said the future of Kenyan politics was not in the hands of ordinary Kenyans but in the hands of politicians who organized political alliances on the basis of their ethnicity and then betrayed each other.
“New alliances are expected in the political arena as we prepare for the 2022 general elections.
Given that Kenyan politics is dominated by ethnicity, political alliances are essential for a united, peaceful and prosperous Kenya, ”he said, predicting that there would be three major alliances before the next general election.
He said outgoing leaders want to have influence over their successors to protect their interests.
