Politics: What’s Clan Got To Do With It.

Whenever the Kenyan elections draw near, the political rhetoric explodes on social media. A recent visit to one of the facebook forums shows that this year is no different! What continues to amaze me is the nature of the rhetoric among Maasai’s in reference to leadership within the Maa community. There seems to be a constant insistence that leadership be doled out based on clan. Such that If, for example, the Governor is from the irkaputiei clan then his/her deputy cannot be from that same clan as the rest of the clans will cry foul and the same goes for all the other leadership positions within the Maa counties. Why? The one reason I have heard, repeatedly, is equality must be promoted – equality in representation of the entire nation of Maa. Ok. So what is wrong with this kind of thinking? Plenty, in my humble opinion!

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