It’s one year to go for Kenyans to experience the 'I’m Better Than You' battle when the nation will decide. My concern is to the celebrities who are advocating for political positions.
All that matters is how you play your cards with the public and the kind of trust and support they have for you. Once you build the trust in a certain field to the public, then you are assured of getting the entire backup.
Never compromise your public; they are your boss. They determine your success and failure. They can help you get up and can assist you get down.
Politics is not an arena for the faint-hearted, more so around the election period. This time, the election seems to be hotter as there will be the presence of new players in politics; the celebrities.
Their faces have been used by most of our politicians in many forums to gain the public’s attention but now they have decided to direct all that attention to themselves.
Celebrity endorsement by political parties can politically benefit the party or coalition but not the individual celebrity. The voters will not care about your status.
The people may stop at just admiring them when acting, singing, modeling or spinning mixes. Some may be heroes/heroines in acting, spinning, singing or modeling but not in leadership.
However, this is not applicable to all artists as we have had one Joseph Haule better known as 'Professor Jay' who won the Mikumi parliamentary seat in the 2015 Tanzania elections.
While 'Professor Jay' was celebrating his victory, Rashid Misheshe Mzage popularly known as 'Kingwendu' lost the Kisarawe Parliamentary seat. Professor Jay’s success is a direct indication that one must have done a lot apart from entertainment to the people for them to bestow trust on him as a good leader.
We cannot trust every celebrity who is entering politics. We need to prove if they are entering into politics to gain money and popularity.
We have our own Kenyan examples of the comedian John Kiarie popularly known as 'KJ", gospel singer Ringtone among others who were floored in the previous elections.
What did Kenyans see that they could not entrust leadership to these people? Politics and Celebrities belong to two different leagues altogether. There is a wide rift between real life and fun.
Leadership involves real life issues while entertainment involves fun. The people are aware of this. You cannot be efficient in leadership while you are efficient in entertainment.
You need to officially quit it for you to fit well in the shoe of politics. Once branded a successful Celebrity, it is difficult for people to appreciate him/her in any other role.
Remember managers manage, salespeople sell, teachers teach, so should entertainers entertain. It’s clear that most of the fans don’t know their real name and the area the entertainer is coming from.
My question to award winning Spin Master Kabochi Gakau, better known as 'DJ Kaytrixx' who echoed his 2017 ambitions for the Mikindani MCA position in Changamwe, Mombasa, hip-hop icon Cannibal and the rest who want to test the political temperature is, ‘Are you still enjoying your entertaining career?’
If yes then stick to it and don’t venture into politics unless and until you’re truly motivated and ready to offer your services to the nation.
Leaders are to take care of the people and have time to listen to their grievances. Kenyans will vote for the honest leaders and will not be lured by their status.