Written by Gitau wa Kung’u (profgitauwakungu@gmail.com).
Many are romantically poetic, as popular as their sweet mention but meaningless campaign slogans. Campaign slogans are distinctive of an aspirant’s or a political party’s catchphrases/mottos aimed at advertising them to win majority supporters and so votes.
What most people do not know is that slogans are primary reasons they should consider when deciding which politician or political party to support. The reason for that is that slogans can form a reflection of the kind of leadership to expect.
Any electorate must therefore choose who or which party to support and who or what party to forsake depending on the impression made by their respective campaign slogans.
A good slogan should have a background rich in philosophical or ideological expression that influences masses to believe in them. Good slogans are foundations of good leadership.
President Xi Jinping's: “Chinese Dream” is a slogan that has been the propelling force behind China’s vociferous growth into superpower status. It dared the Chinese to dream, work hard to fulfill the dreams and contribute to the rejuvenation of the nation."
Martin Luther King Jnr’s: “I Have A Dream,” and Malcom X’s: “Black Nationalism” became slogans that projected the dawn of Black American revolution against white racist governments and policies, years after their assassination.
Founding Presidents Nelson Mandera (S.Africa) ANC party’s: “Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear Of The Nation) Julius Nyerere’s (Tanzania) “Ujamaa;” and Jomo Kenyatta’s (Kenya) KANU party’s: Harambee (spirit of unity of purpose) slogans are other prolific examples of leaders whose legacies can be related to their rich philosophical slogans. Their slogans united Africans to gain independence from the imperialist colonial governments.
Still, deceptive politicos can make good slogans to deceive masses so after slogans; electorates should consider the traits and tracks of their particular makers. The most beautiful, poetic slogans without any background reflection of the aspirants’ philosophy or ideology have been a prerequisite to poor, even corrupt and dictatorial leadership elected and erected. These slogans have a trait of praising the individuals aspiring or even implying to make their preachers superior to their competitors.
For instance, French president Emmanuel Macron’s: "Recovery, power, belonging" was an ideologically rich slogan yet his record was one blemished by arrogance and retrogression.
Laurent Gbagbo saw Ivory Coast suffer a bloody civil war after being elected in 2000 yet in 2007 his slogan became “Time For A Change,” hoping to deceive the voters he should be re elected to bring peace even when he had promoted the civil war!
Former US president Donald Trump’s slogan is “Make America Great Again” was a clever, memorable campaign slogan yet his record was the paradox of his slogan, an America characterised by chaos fuelled by racism, religious separatism, dictatorial tendencies, retrogressing economy etc.
Unbelievably, former Sudan’s President Omar Al-Bashir final re-election bid’s campaign slogan was “Freedom, Development, Peace,” with a white dove as symbol; years after his regime had been characteristic of dictatorship, corruption and bloody massacres in civil wars for more than 20 years!
For instance, Uganda’s dictatorial president Yoweri Museveni’s slogans: “So Much Done, So Much To Do” and “No Change!” are slogans that have thrived his re-elections for the past 25 years plus that have been plagued with dictatorship, nepotism, police brutality, assassinations of revolutionaries, abuse of human rights et cetera.
Former Kenyan president Daniel Arap Moi’s slogan was “Harambee…Nyayo” (In the footsteps of founding President Jomo Kenyatta). During his 24 year rule, Moi ruled with an iron fist in a regime that oversaw prominent ethnic profiling, assassinations, abuse of human rights like torture, corruption, injustice etc.
Kenya’s Jubilee party’s slogan was “Tuko Mbele Pamoja” (Unity will drive the nation far in prosperity) with a handshake symbol in 2013 and a white dove (2022) yet the first term was characteristic of similar rampant corruption; corrupt leaders amassing wealth while the poverty levels escalate towards the end of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s regime.
Kiambu County’s impeached governor, Ferdinand Waititu’s slogan was: “Baba Yao” (Their Father). Waititu’s slogan thrived because Kiambu people had been frustrated by Gov. William Kabogo and the slogan “Baba Yao” implied Waititu as the loving father who would rule well. He ended up being impeached on corruption and abuse of office charges.
Well, it is time Kenyans became wary of not only being deceived into voting leaders with beautiful, sweet sounding slogans with no fundamental idealism or philosophy but also voting blindly for deceivers with idealistic/philosophical slogans propagated by persons of questionable integrity track or else!
Gitau wa Kung'u is a 3rd year Moi University student, policy strategist, youth activist, unpublished author and poet.
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