Lead image for Plato's philosopher king, African literature and the season of grand promises.
The season of political chess is here. Politicians on different sides of the political divide, angling for seats from the ward rep to the big colonial mansion on the hill, are painting a rosy picture of what their administrations would actualise.
Constituents are being assured that all they need to do is believe and vote for these worthies and, hey presto, we just kissed poverty and mediocrity goodbye. That is all very well and, as always, we leave the political muck to those who are happy to roll up their sleeves, slip into mudboots and roil in the dirt of the game. As to whether those who occupy the nearly 1,900 elective seats will deliver, the jury is out.
On the literary front, you cannot resist reflecting on the Greek classical philosopher Plato’s thoughts on great leadership. In The Republic, Plato’s problem, which I think is not markedly different from our problem, is that classical Athens did not necessarily lack educated people or political ideas.
Indeed, the philosopher, whose thoughts have gone on to shape literary, legal and political thought, was less concerned with the mere existence of policies and institutions than with the kind of people entrusted with governing.
Like Kenya, which boasts a Constitution widely praised for its institutional and rights framework, besides grand visions and blueprints that often fall short in implementation, Athens had ideas about how its society ought to be ordered.
Plato’s central insight is that blueprints and ideas on their own are n********ers. They require leaders with the courage, knowledge and political will to implement what is good for the whole society.
And Plato’s philosopher king was not defined by the ethnic arithmetic that takes precedence in electoral seasons on this part of the world. No, the philosopher king was defined by not just intellect, but much more by character.