Dealers in Power: The Corruption of Leadership and Ayn Rand’s Warning for Kenya

By Chebusiit Araap Keter

Since Kenya’s 2013 general elections, the nation has been trapped in an unending cycle of political campaigning, where the pursuit of power eclipses governance. Politicians, masquerading as leaders, prioritize wealth accumulation and loyalty to party bosses over public service. This article examines how Kenya’s political class has become a cadre of “dealers” — exploiting public office for personal gain, manufacturing poverty, and perpetuating a state of permanent electioneering. Through the lens of Ayn Rand’s philosophy, we explore the moral and systemic decay undermining Kenya’s democracy.

1. The Dealer Politician: Corruption Over Public Service
Ayn Rand’s objectivism champions rational self-interest, where individuals pursue goals that align with their values without exploiting others. Kenyan politicians, however, pervert this principle. Their “self-interest” manifests as graft, land grabs, and tender scams — epitomized by scandals like the National Youth Service (NYS) heist and the Eurobond saga. Rand warned against such “looters” who drain societal value; in Kenya, these dealers enrich themselves while hospitals lack drugs and schools crumble. Their actions contradict Rand’s ideal of productive achievement, instead thriving on a parasitic relationship with the state.

2. Perpetual Campaigning: Governance as an Afterthought
Kenya’s political calendar since 2013 has been a relentless campaign treadmill. After the 2017 elections, which culminated in a divisive court-ordered rerun, politicians immediately pivoted to the 2022 race. The Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), marketed as a peace project, became a tool for elite bargaining and early campaigning. Rand’s critique of “moochers” — those who demand unearned benefits — resonates here: politicians peddle empty promises (e.g., “digital jobs” or “affordable housing”) to secure votes, only to abandon pledges post-election. Governance is reduced to a sideshow.

3. Manufactured Poverty: A Tool for Control
Poverty in Kenya is not merely a policy failure but a strategic asset. By sabotaging public services and embezzling funds, politicians create dependencies. Rand’s Atlas Shrugged describes a society collapsing under the weight of bureaucrats who stifle productivity; similarly, Kenya’s leaders undermine agricultural subsidies, healthcare, and education. During elections, handouts like maize flour and cash replace systemic solutions, ensuring a voter base trapped in cycles of desperation. The result? A populace too preoccupied with survival to demand accountability.

4. Subservience to Party Bosses: The Death of Representation
In Parliament, legislators act as rubber stamps for party leaders, not the electorate. Rand’s disdain for collectivism — where individual rights are sacrificed for the “greater good” of the group — mirrors Kenya’s political reality. MPs pass punitive taxes or endorse opaque contracts (e.g., the SGR loan agreements) under duress from party whips. The voter, in Rand’s terms, becomes a “second-hander,” whose interests are irrelevant to the power games of Nairobi’s elite.

5. Ayn Rand’s Prescription: Reclaiming Individual Sovereignty
Rand’s philosophy offers a corrective: a society built on meritocracy, limited government, and individual rights. For Kenya, this means dismantling the patronage system and fostering leaders who value productivity over theft. It demands civic courage — voters rejecting tribal handouts, and MPs prioritizing constituency development funds over loyalty to party dynasties. Rand’s call for “rational selfishness” aligns with the need for leaders who view public service as a noble pursuit, not a path to riches.

Conclusion
From Dealers to Leaders — A Path Forward
Kenya’s political crisis is a betrayal of the social contract. To escape the campaign-industrial complex, systemic reforms are urgent: strict anti-corruption enforcement, term limits, and civic education. Rand’s warnings about moochers and looters remind us that a nation cannot thrive when its leaders profit from poverty. The promise of 2013 — a transformative devolved government — remains unfulfilled. Only by restoring the sanctity of leadership over deal-making can Kenya reclaim its future.

“When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion — when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing — you may know that your society is doomed.”
— Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

The writer is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a political analyst