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Or, The Election Edition

Reader,

I know folks in Kenya and its diaspora are probably tired of thinking of, or hearing about, the election but this is not where you’ll find succour this week (sorry, besties!).

This year has had the usual messaging that addresses Kenyans like they’re some bloodthirsty characters who have to be talked down from harming each other and it’s been upsetting, if I’m being honest. I only realised today how much I’ve retreated into books to escape the strong feelings when I counted my July reads: over 20 books (my wrap up will be a feat, that’s for sure) and most were consumed almost like cotton candy.

Reading the May 23rd issue of The New Yorker (I’m always far behind but the library means I can renew my loans until I’m done), I found myself looking for books at the library about democracy and the rise of autocratic regimes across the world that were discussed; trying to make sense of the time I find myself in. The first of those titles is The Revenge of Power: How Autocrats Are Reinventing Politics for the 21st Century by Moisés Naím, which I intend to do a parallel read of. More and more, I find myself in rooms where folks denigrate even the idea of democracy and, in this region, praise such leaders as Rwanda’s Paul Kagame. It makes me wonder what is left unsaid, what the future will look like if more people agree that there’s no point to even gestures to government of the people by the people.

I don’t blame them, that’s for sure. To be in a country where so much state money is stolen,  where one’s socioeconomic position can be a matter of life or death; where even that won’t protect you in the face of bad roads, stolen medicine, the flight of skilled workers to the West, to see the cost of living rise without a commensurate rise in wages; that’s enough to turn more that a few of us against the bill of goods we were sold as democracy. 

My first election was marked by violence (and, sadly, a lot of Kenyans can say the same thing. See: 1992, 1997, for starters) and so those questions have been percolating in my head for over a decade. What does it profit a man (and it’s mostly men) to win an election and be the cause of thousands of people being displaced? What’s the point of getting one’s finger inked, packing water, a snack and a book for the queue if one’s country is on edge? To what end does one do any of *waves hands about* this if there will be cycles of abuse from the state and living conditions get worse for workers and their families? And on and on. As always, I hope that books will offer me a chance to make sense of the world I live in. And not just recent books - Mama Mike and I recently spoke about how (uncomfortably) current Chinua Achebe’s The Trouble with Nigeria (40 years old next year) still is.

In the midst of some escapist reading, I particularly enjoyed TJ Powar Has Something to Prove by Jesmeen Kaur Deo (narrated by Mayuri Bhandari) whose message of open-eyed body positivity will stay with me for a long time. Definitely the sort of book I’d put in the hands of a young person. Audiobooks have been a balm during this time when campaigns (not to be confused with politics, seeing as the personal is political) have been everywhere - being able to wear headphones and enter a different place is a joy and a great privilege I’m glad I’ve had this time round. At the risk of taking us back to a certain time, I acknowledge my privilege as a person who can check out, and I hope more of us can have access to the means to take a break and be energised for what lies ahead.

Lastly, and this is in the wake of some IRL conversations I’ve had, I approach elections with the particular trepidation of a child of the Second Liberation who lived to see its heroes’ records tarnished once they entered government and who’s been interested in politics as long as they can remember. Listening to How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community by Mia Birdsong (narrated by the author) has, on some level, reminded me who I am: a person who attends ward meetings, who makes friends there, who participates in their community's life. This immersion is greater than the election and takes more work than the quizzes, the verification, the deep dives into the issues animating this election. As long as I think the work is worth doing, maybe democracy makes some points to me.

I promise we’ll go back to normal programming next week. Before then, please write back to me and tell me what books you’re reading or looking forward to reading this week — it’s always a great time talking about books.

Enjoy the rest of the week and have a lovely time reading. Talk to you soon!