Playing politics with children as Uhuru succession race gains steam

As President Uhuru Kenyatta succession gains traction, children have been caught up in the cut-throat competition, with their future at the centre stage ahead of the August 9 General Election.

It is not a trend peculiar to Kenya’s political arena as it has been witnessed in election campaigns across the world.

If children are not on podiums in political rallies praising politicians, pertinent issues touching on them have also emerged. For instance, the Competency-Based-Curriculum (CBC) is increasingly driving a wedge in the State House battle, with ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi — a key player in the Kenya Kwanza alliance led by Deputy President William Ruto —repeatedly saying they will abolish CBC should they come to power. His attack on CBC has been criticised by Education authorities, who accuse him of distorting facts and causing anxiety.

Political contenders have decided to embrace children in the campaign trail as a weapon against their opponents. On the flip side, it could be interpreted as child abuse. As it was in previous elections, child stars are emerging on the political scene even before campaigns begin officially, causing both excitement and concern.

The latest was a young girl who wowed the crowd by reciting a poem praising Dr Ruto at a rally in Olenguruone, Nakuru County. Before that, a boy said to be 10 years old caused a stir by chiding Deputy President William Ruto in the Azimio la Umoja Vihiga rally on Thursday, saying the country’s second-in-command was lying to Kenyans with his ‘Hustler narrative’.

"Mimi wenu Raila Amolo Odinga. Huyu Ruto, kutudanganya tu na wheelbarrow na wamama wanataka ng'ombe. Ambia jirani yako kuwa ni wakati wa Baba na Joho (I am yours truly Raila Amolo Odinga. This Ruto is lying to us with wheelbarrows, yet women need cows. Tell your neighbour that it is time for Baba—Mr Odinga—and Joho),” he said.

In Olenguruone, Kuresoi South, Dr Ruto was emotional after the child recited a poem, forcing him to invite her on top of his vehicle.

Last October when the DP was in Nyahururu, he embraced a boy who was ridden in a wheelbarrow with United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party colours.

In the US, when President Joe Biden was on the campaign trail in Pennsylvania in July 2020, he knelt before children when he visited them in Scranton, a clear indication that embracing children in political activities is not only becoming the norm in Kenya but worldwide.

Who cares more?

Locally, hoisting children in political events has turned out to be a competition between DP Ruto and his main challenger in the race, ODM boss Raila Odinga. If one poses with a child today, the other will do the same the following day — all posted on the politicians’ social media accounts and those of bloggers allied to them. Some of the children posted are relatives of the politicians, while others are strangers.

However, experts have urged politicians to be cautious in using children in their campaigns as there is a thin line between attempting to display one’s “soft” side and exploiting minors.

The Children Act says every child shall have the right to privacy subject to parental guidance. This is interfered with when they are exposed to huge gatherings. The law also says a child shall be entitled to protection from physical and psychological abuse, neglect and any other form of exploitation, including sale, trafficking or abduction by any person.

However, the politicians have defended actions, saying they are not exposing children to danger as some may argue.

‘Sign of humility’

Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata argues that having and interacting with children in UDA meetings is usually viewed as a sign of humility.

“It brings an element of humility and good relationships with folks. It is a notion borrowed from the biblical verse of Matthew 19:14 when Jesus said ‘let the children come to me. Do not hide them,’” said Dr Kang’ata.

He, however, cautions that carrying a child in a rally does not mean one will be voted in, noting that there are a lot of dynamics at play.

“There is no guarantee one will win after hoisting a child, but embracing them is important,” says the Murang’a senator.

Innocence

University of Nairobi’s Prof Herman Manyora says there is a thin line between exploiting children and gaining popularity through them. He argues that politicians are using children as a channel of passing their messages to the electorate to increase their chances of getting votes as children are viewed as innocent and honest in whatever they say.

“A child symbolises innocence. If a child says something, we see it as something coming from someone who is so innocent it can only be true. If a child says that a certain aspirant is corrupt, then it can only be true. A child has a powerful message merely because of their mere innocence,” he says.

“Children’s messages speak with the heart, it becomes popular with the people and using them in delivery messages, it becomes a very good tool for vote-hunting missions,” Mr Manyora adds.

Keiyo South MP Daniel Rono says children are used in political rallies to portray love for the electorate. “Some politicians will feature children on the campaign trail to portray love for the people, parents and children. In short, it is humility at work,” he told the Sunday Nation.

But political commentator Martin Andati sees it as a tactic employed by different contenders to show that they care about the future.

“They want to show that they are concerned and show affection. You try to appeal to emotion by looking like you are close to the children. It also shows that you care about the future because the children represent the future and that makes their parents have attachment to such politicians,” he says.

Education curriculum

But beyond embracing them in rallies, targeting the CBC education system is also seen as a way of drawing in children and their parents into the political contest.

Mr Mudavadi and his Ford Kennya counterpart Moses Wetang’ula have trained their guns on the implementation of the new curriculum. They recently said the curriculum was hurriedly rolled out, hence frustrating both parents and teachers.

"The controversial Competency-Based-Curriculum of education will be scrapped once the Ruto/Mudavadi government takes power in August," the ANC boss tweeted recently, before repeating the stand in various rallies.

Mr Mudavadi said CBC is burdensome for parents and was being implemented without wide consultations with stakeholders.

“The new system is a big burden and an academic frustration to Kenyan parents,” he says.

Bungoma Senator Wetang’ula says that immediately Kenya Kwanza takes over power, their first agenda would be to scrap the curriculum and replace it with something all parents fathom.

“There is something frustrating for students, teachers and parents called CBC. We will do away with this curriculum if we ascend to power come August 9 so that we give Kenyans what they understand,” he said.

But Masinde Muliro University don Egara Kabaji, an educationist, says the process of coming up with a new curriculum is a tedious path and those who are attacking CBC are greenhorns on the matter. He terms it unfortunate that a serious issue that touches on the lives of the young generation has become a subject of politicking.

Hopeless chaps

“They are hopeless chaps. They have no idea about educational planning and curriculum development. They are mixing serious matters of education with cheap politics,” said Prof Kabaji.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha on Thursday told off those opposing the CBC on account that there was no public participation during its formulation. He said parents will reject attempts to take their Grade Five children back to Standard One under the 8-4-4 system.

“Nobody is going to dare, no matter who he is, to take our children back. You may bark out there, but you aren’t going to take our children back to Standard One to start preparing for KCPE. Mothers aren’t going to allow you. Who do you think you are? Tell me,” the CS said at St Mary’s Mukunike Secondary School in Kangundo, Machakos County.

Parents back CBC

And Saturday, the Kenya National Parents’ Association asked the Kenya Kwanza Alliance of Dr Ruto to keep off implementation of CBC.

The association warned that parents across the country are determined not to vote for a political formation that threatens the future of their children.

Speaking to the media in Eldoret, association chairman Nicholas Maiyo said parents have embraced the new curriculum and will not entertain anyone who plans to scrap it.

“The other day I heard from Musalia Mudavadi that once they ascend to power, they will scrap CBC. As parents of this country, please come slowly because there are so many things to consider before scrapping a curriculum,” said Mr Maiyo.

According to Mr Maiyo, anyone who wants to weed out CBC is playing with the future of over eight million learners from Pre-Primary One (PP1) to Grade Five, something he said they will not to tolerate in any way.

“We have 8.1 million children from PP1 to Grade Five and parents of these children have embraced CBC and if they say they will scrap it, who will compensate these parents?” he asked.

Accepted CBC

The association argued that they accepted CBC because it is set to churn out those who can tackle emerging problems in the job markets unlike those of the 8-4-4 system.

“Parents will not accept their children to go back to 8-4-4. If you compare the cohorts of 8-4-4 and the cohorts of CBC, parents are saying now, CBC is an answered prayer to their expectation because a child who has gone through CBC is more independent; he or she can work without supervision of parents,” explained Mr Maiyo.

“CBC children are outgoing, disciplined, have values, belong to the community unlike the cohort of 8-4-4 where parents must be there to supervise. There are a lot of quarrels between them and their parents.”

He further said countries around the world are rolling out different kinds of curricula and there is no way Kenya can be left behind.

“As parents of this country, CBC is the best for our children, especially when the world is changing. Kenya is not an island; it has to change also. Let politicians say what they want but consider that as stakeholders they should ask us first,” said Mr Maiyo.

He went ahead: “We will not allow that system to be scrapped because before something is done, public participation must be done. All parents of this country have seen the difference between 8-4-4 and CBC. If you continue talking like Musalia, you will miss votes.”

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