Chin up Kituyi, precedence shows it’ll be over soon

We are reporting direct from the south, that place where things are said to go when people are in trouble. We are here because, for yet another time, a Kenyan politician and presidential aspirant has had things head south for him.

Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, the former secretary-general of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, has in the past week been in the spotlight thanks to an unverified video. He has not yet commented on it and we would like to mention from the outset that the video can be anything including a manipulated image, or a deep-fake.

Regardless, the video has circulated widely and it will take a while before we reach the tail-end of the jokes being peddled about it. It came hot on the heels of a tiff he allegedly had with a woman at a hotel in Mombasa, which ended up with a criminal complaint. Dr Kituyi told People Daily that the complaint was withdrawn.

An MP between 1992 and 2007, Dr Kituy now joins a crop of Kenyan politicians who had things go south due matters of passion, from Kirinyaga Deputy Governor Peter Ndambiri to former Imenti MP Gideon Mwiti. There is also the late Nicholas Biwott who earned the moniker “Bull of Auckland” due to a scandalous turn of events during a government trip to New Zealand. The list also includes Wajir Woman Rep Fatuma Gedi.

There are many more politicians who have been here in the south, literally and figuratively, and the effect such controversies had on their political careers deserves a study. Joining us to analyse this issue is Mr Wafula Buke, a former ODM director of political affairs and strategy. Mr Buke, do you think such a video can ruin a politician’s career?

Sexual misadventure

“Issues of sex and how they impact on politics are determined by that society’s morality. We are at different levels of moral stature. In Africa, in certain countries, you will kill people and people will still worship you,” says Mr Buke. “In Africa, I think granted sex can’t bring down any leader. Even if it’s somebody’s wife... it’s not a scandal big enough to substantially dent the image of that leader.’”

So, Mr Buke, what would you advise Dr Kituyi to do in this case?

“He should just go on with his business. There is a lesson he needs to learn from President Mwai Kibaki. There is a time Kibaki’s wife stormed Nation Centre in pyjamas. But what did Kibaki do? The following day, he was at a function at KICC. If he withdraws from the limelight, then it becomes negative.” Thank you, Mr Buke. 

Kenyan politicians have reacted differently to such claims. In 2017 when Deputy President William Ruto was accused of siring a baby out of wedlock and neglecting her, he confessed and explained the circumstances. The issue was as good as forgotten. Mr, Ndambiri fought back, saying it was part of an extortion scheme.

We are now joined by Mr Dismas Mokua, a political risk analyst and communications consultant, for his two cents.

“In the African political context, politicians are hardly punished for their sexual misadventure. In fact, when politicians are found to have engaged in this kind of sexual misadventure, they gain followers. Actually, for the African male politician, there’s no bar for sexual morality.”

Thank you, Mr Mokua. Back to studio.