conversations continue this morning. Like we said, we'll continue bringing it to you as we get it. And thank you for tuning into the situation room this morning. It's Kenya's biggest conversation where we will comfort the afflicted and we will afflict the comfortable. We'll have the conversations that nobody wants to have but are necessary if we want to progress. And we get into one conversation this morning and as we do in between, like I told you earlier, we'll be sharing information as we get it as concerns. um the issue around the abduction of standard groups associate
editor Alex Kiprich. And so we'll share that with you as we get it. And that brings us to the politics of agenda and whether there is an agenda or not. He has his book of maybe 1,000 bookmarkers to then mark the notes as to how he's been. Exactly. [laughter] Obian is a communication strategist and joins us as we look at examining leadership versus 2027 positions. Good morning to you. Good morning. How are you? Amazing as usual. [laughter] Fine, thank you. I want to say amazing as usual. So take Odamu to Mozambique. Mhm. and behave yourselves
while you're there, please. Let me tell you, when you go to Mozambi, one thing you'll hear most isadri that takes me fat. Don't ask questions. Yeah, but let me [laughter] let me tell you about Mozambi. Yeah, they are huge in agriculture, mining, natural gas that will be LG, uh aluminium, Americans call it aluminum, aluminum, coal, energy, transport and logistics and services that would be in the tourism sector because they have over 2,700 kilometers of a beach line, right? where then you talk about tourist services. You talk about um the logistics, they have three ports that
get to serve the landlocked countries especially in the southern Africa part of the continent. But the proverb we get this morning for the ambul who urinates in the road must be ready to answer questions from flies. Repeat, he who urinates in the road must be ready to answer questions from flies. The road is a public space. Mhm. And so when you do that and as you move I think the flies follow you. So you you need to account to them why you doing or what is left [laughter] in you that you didn't leave with them.
I think I I'll interpret it easily that uh for every mistake one makes you must be able to bear the responsibility. We must all atone for our mistakes. Yeah. Yeah. We must we must. Some of the conversations that have been out in the public is that of the agenda of anybody who wants to put themselves up for office in 2027. Anybody um whereby the conversation may be focused towards the president. Um anybody who comes in and as a as an MCA or as an member of parliament, senator, governor must have an agenda. President William R
has been saying, you know what, they've been telling me that I'm terrible. They've been telling me that I haven't done anything, but ask them what their agenda is. And Hana Mhm. is he right? From a communication standpoint is one of those things that I've always talked about uh that I think uh in terms of taking control of a narrative, the first thing that you must do in an election is to define what the election is about. and uh those who define what an election is about then end up controlling the narrative of that election. For
example, in 2002, I don't know whether you're in this country in 2002, the the [clears throat] conversation was that we needed change uh at all costs and that change was that a new regime had to come into place and moy was not a conversation. Mhm. And uh it happened because the ones who defined it were the opposition and the opposition then was initially knack n a where was and her colleagues then Raa and Tim joined them and and they defined what that election was about and then they won that election. Come to 2005, we started
about we had the clamor for a new constitution and 2007 uh the contest or the contestation of the elections outcome of 207 was because of the definition of what the election was about. It was about a commitment that was made in 202 which was not kept because there were a lot of anglesing issues. there were a lot of questions around constitutionalism and the clamor for new constitution and so 207 was largely a referendum about the change that was requested uh in 2023 and of course we know what happened in 208 I don't seek to delve
into it then 2013 the the digital duo if you remember there was that transition from uh the analog to digital and all of us remember our TVs being shut for some period Later after these guys came to came to power, of course the digital transition was a big thing back then and uh it became the narrative and the we transition. You remember there was a a question about laptops to children, right? Oh yeah. Yeah. There's a question about that. Yeah. Yeah. [laughter] There's a question about what can we do in terms of government services and
later on of course we saw some development into a citizen etc. and and and so on and so forth. Then we come to 2017 again a contested election in my view because we went to a Supreme Court which gave a verdict not on the numbers but on the process but even in that election itself uh the reason why it was as stiff as it was was because of the question on corruption remember corruption question was loudest in this country in 2017. Then you come later to 2022 where the uh incumbent president did determine the the
conversation completely. In fact, he bunched up uh the the old politicians and called them the dynasties and said this is about the hustlers. What interests the people and what interests the people then became the overriding conversation and he he functioned an agenda around it. And of course for the first time we saw the relations could largely shift from just tribal botry of uh X versus Y right to what can we actually achieve. Now brings us to 2026 2027 and I've said in my teachings whatever I've gone everywhere that I've been talking and analysis and said
you cannot just say your agenda is one term. Neither can you just say your agenda is two term. That is sloganering. That's not not an agenda. Of course, Kenya elections and largely most elections are not worn on uh on on manifestos. Elections are won on narratives. But [clears throat] then how do you put your narrative to match your manifesto whether it's true or not? Because narratives can be false. Yeah. Narratives can be true. Naratives can be false. Are we saying that so long as a campaign or an election is founded on a narrative that's what
people go with whether it turns out to be a lie later unfortunately okay Joseph goel's the minister of propaganda in in Hitler's government taught us this if you look at the 10 principles of propaganda he says clearly that people don't think much in fact there is one theory that we operate on as the media which is the uh it's called the hypodmic needle theory where the people, our audience do not do not have time to process what we're talking about. They just receive it without rationalizing what we're talking about. And the same then works in
terms of political messaging because when you announce news here, the the the audience doesn't have time to analyze what the people are saying unless you repeat it. Yes. At least now you call Odambo or you call somebody [clears throat] else to come and sit and make us understand. And that's why Spice Fame stands out as very different from other radio stations and and and broadcasting houses because narratives whether true or false. Mhm. They are the things that then drive the election and influence the outcomes of those elections. And of course it is important to have
robust conversations and in-depth conversations around them because unfortunately the NGO space that was very huge in uh talking about civic education has closed down. I remember in 207 I I believe we we are almost agemates. You saw the kind of uh uh civic education that we had in this country that was largely by the NGO players and and also the electoral commission but since then it has been reducing. So it then begs one question that does then narratives uh are become the only thing that influence an election. No narratives are anchored in something called political
socialization, a political community and a political culture. And that is why today for the first time you've seen me come about with some few backups. Yeah. Yeah. I mean even as as [laughter] you come with the backups. Yes. We we the narrative that we see that continue to be witnessed is um us we are two term because we are [clears throat] in government development to affordable housing is there we've appointed 100,000 teachers [clears throat] that one would say is based off um promise that was given and implementation of the promises if that is a way
to look at it on the other hand is it is one Um because um regardless of if you're building a road but you're killing us, we will not use those roads. If it's education, how what is the quality of education? If it's about healthcare, is it working? You know, it is no longer a question of are these things here, but the quality are they working as expected and what is the [clears throat] return on investment? Because remember, every other thing as well comes from the taxpayers who fund all these services. So in one way or
the other are you looking at are we seeing agendas being formed in the country based off what we see and what we touch for an agenda to be set in the agenda setting theory there must be some level of frequency yes and and and and and consistency in terms of a particular topic being discussed but then that begs one thing what is the political question that is in the political culture. So let's first start by asking ourselves what's the political culture of Kenya because that will then influence what we are talking about our political culture
largely uh and I could be wrong our political culture largely is is is on the question of uh tribalism identity politics of who belongs where and now this identity politics takes us down to not a national identity but a very private and and and and subcommunike identity which removes what I call uh patriotism which we were taught. Now that political culture also tells us the prevailing political culture tells us that initially when we were in school you remember we were being taught the loyalty pledge for example we're being taught about country we were being told
about the history of this country and where we are going. We had somebody come in in 2020 2023 and about 208 and tell us about vision 2030 and these things were placed even in our career book career selection book I don't know you remember accessing a career selection book that had vision 2030 in it so the political identity of a country must go beyond what we think should be the political identity because we are stuck in our own small uh what I call uh nuts we refusing to go beyond it and see what else is
is available on their side. Now that said, it then comes to the question of for a political agenda to be set is our culture informing that because our culture is very sectarian. Look at the politicians coming for example from Luanza. Okay? Look at the politicians coming from Central. Look at the ones coming from coast because they're the political leaders and political leaders are not just leaders. the communicators. Yeah. Now once you look at it as communicators, it brings you to a very important specific analysis. Do let's look at the political leaders from central. There's a
dichotomy there. And the dichotomy is this in my view. One development oriented. Okay. When central Kenya sits to talk, they talk about development. Mhm. They have a smoke screen. Mhm. Which is emotional politics. Mhm. But ideally the highest ch rate the the region with the highest rate of politicians is central Kenya because why if you don't do a certain thing if you don't work then you're going home. Okay. I was in [clears throat] uh at at a particular ward within OA and I took a medical camp there with with my partner. We were doing uh
of course something about diabetes. when they turned up over 4,000 of them only one MCA featured for example if it were in Yanza where 4,000 people are gathered which caliber of politicians will come up [laughter] okay and when they and when they turned when they turned up the political question that they were talking about was about a unit cost of water unit cost of water and do if you come to my area you will not talk about unit cost of water you'll be talking about He's our person. He's not our person. But these guys when
they sat I was shocked. I asked them so where do you fetch water? Then a lady asked me fetching water. What? What do you mean? What do you mean? Where water? As we have taps in their houses. What are you telling us about fetching water? Now you see for them it's a development question. But nationally they have a smoke screen. Even what Gashaga is doing currently. All these people is talking about all these leaders talking about they have to sit. Now look look at something interesting about central Kenya leaders after they're appointed PSS CSS in
different regimes these guys sit as a community bringing together all the people in appointments and and they sit and discuss what development we can bring home okay now pack that aside come to Nyanza my favorite home where we're talking about the political culture there it is that of brevity kingship it is that of who is leading where a village elder who is a village elder in fact I dare say nyan's politics is a cast system like like like the Asians have their cast system where we have the topmost being the political uh guru the political
leader there then second line we have the political appointees or elected leaders okay and the third line unfortunately are the people I call the sanguinas and and and and the blogging team these people these people talk about politics before professional talk and they hold some sway and they all sway today if once I'm done here on the blogs it will be loud right what is he saying about us who is he okay they don't look at how about we get this professional to help us A B C D where can he help us okay that's
interesting [laughter] but allow me some latitude because I want to share a statement that has come from the standard group this morning um as we know our associate editor Alex Kiproich was abducted was was taken forcefully last night and on the Gilgill Nakuru highway and a bit of an update has come to us at this point. Standard Group associate editor Alex Kip Rotic has been found safe roughly 9 hours after he was abducted along the Gilgill Nakuru road on the night of September 1st. Kiproich was dumped some 10 m near Masinga Dam at around 2:00
a.m. roughly 137 km from Nairobi. He sought refuge at a nearby household before a standard group team located him at around 6:30 a.m. He is safe and okay, though visibly shaken by the ordeal. Kiprish told colleagues he was taken by four masked men armed with AK-47s traveling in a Sububaru bearing registration KDC125E whose check shows it to be a government vehicle. The vehicle was fitted with a siren and his capttors were clearly police officers armed with AK47 rifles. At roadblocks along the way, he said they would engage other officers who waved the vehicle through without
stopping it. During his captivity, he said his capttors interrogated him repeatedly, pressing him on where the standard group gets its stories and how his headlines are decided. They also asked whether Gideon Moy, a shareholder in the group, received visits at Cabarak. Kiproic even said at some point they press work. Others in the vehicle sought to reassure him telling him not to worry because in their words it is a government matter. Kipisha's abduction on the night of September 1st came just after 2 months after he narrowly escaped a similar attempt on June 27th, 2026 when armed
men in a Toyota ProBox tried to seize him at his as he drove to work in Nakuru. That vehicle was traced by Standard Group's own investigations to the National Police Service Crimes Research and Intelligence Bureau. No one has been held to account for it. He had gone missing shortly before 9:20 p.m. last night after placing a brief frantic call to Tom Kipon, the Standard Group's head of security. Tom, I quote, "We have been hijacked. We have been hijacked at Gilgill." Kipperich shouted before the line went dead. The Standard Group had earlier issued a statement holding
the state responsible for Kip Rotic's safety, describing the abduction as a likely attempt to intimidate the group into silence over its editorial coverage. This is a developing story. The standard group extends its gratitude to all those who helped in the search, including the family that took Kiprich in and cared for him after he was dumped near Masinga Dam. Further updates will be provided as they become available. So, there's something to be grateful for that he's been found and he's alive. But it was very clear from what he's been able to share that uh the questions
were being asked about the coverage and the questions as to where um a lot of these stories are coming from. It's a developing story. We'll share more information as we do. But keep Alex Kippertic is safe and he's been found and been picked up at about 6:30 this morning. Yes. All right. Allow me to say something. Yes. You know some things happen in this country that at times I always say they are on on goal in the president's team. It is shameful that uh zillious elements within this regime are thinking they can intimidate the media.
They will they will be gone in a short while. That's something that they must always know that the media will always stand after them. M yeah that shortlived career will be done and the media will always remain and this mistake we're playing with is like what Judas's carot was was playing with in the bible we don't know when to stop someday some m men in a subaru that is not a government vehicle will abduct somebody and shoot them on the spot and that will be the only trigger that may be needed for this country to
reset and I'm not afraid to say it that the government must be very careful in the approach they're having towards the media and towards the general public. Whatever the president had taken in terms of ignoring the the headlines are standard was the best approach. Just ignore don't react to it because this is we we we are in a social liberty media state. We are not in in fact a social responsibility media state. We are not in an authoritarian state. That's something they must know. This abduction of Kiproich is off. It's an ongo. It is despicable.
We cannot continue like this. We cannot continue like this. Indeed. No. Some of us who who look at this government with some soft spots sometimes we look at it and say, you know what, you're a piece. Sorry to say. Yeah. That's what we see. Of course, we're going to get a message from our CEO who was at the site where um Alex Kipperich was found and then we'll be able to share that information with you as we get it. It is important that we talk about these things because it's necessary for you to see the
progression that it's Alex Kipperich today. It can be somebody else tomorrow. It has been thousands of people before and unfortunately uh we have we've been audienced to hearing that this is over. Just two weeks ago, we've been told that it is safe that these things don't happen anymore and that, you know, we don't have to really pay mind. It's happening and it could be anybody. We can't ignore it and we will continue to talk about it no matter how uncomfortable it is. That's what we do. We will comfort the afflicted and we will afflict the
comfortable because they're uncomfortable discussions or situations to to to have. [snorts] But if you leave them unspoken and hidden, that's where they thrive. Yeah. We're still talking about the politics um of of agenda and um for us to then I think we'll just continue um into that as we uh still wait on that message and we'll get you more details as we hear them. OMAN is here with us this morning and we continue and we realize that it seems as though the people who have an agenda are in the majority and hear me when I'm
saying that it [clears throat] is the people who say their agenda is very clear. Yeah. From the examples that you've given of people who sit and have a meeting about okay this person are they doing what they ought to be doing if not an opportunity to kick them out then is in the offing. Yeah. So it seems that the people with an agenda that perhaps politicians ought to be wary of is the people their agenda is very clear. So is that the agenda we should be looking at and concentrating on? So we we we we
come to a definition so that we we understand that that a political culture I'm relying on uh an introduction to political science for African students. I I I inherited this book from my father. Okay. Yeah. And we can see all your sticky notes. Okay. You're a reference man. [laughter] I believe that if you're an intellectual, you cannot speak without citation. Right? You must have citation. And and No says in his book that the political culture of any society is made up of the political attitudes, values, feelings, information and skills possessed by the members of the
political community. And there are three elements to this. One is the cognitive element. Two is the effective element. And three is the evaluational element. M now if you look at the cognitive element which is the rational element of of of a political culture people look at whatever is going on in the in the in the society and ask themselves is this right? Because for cognitive processes the only thing you're looking at is a binary of right or wrong. And what whatever is right or wrong of course differs in different subcultures. But the most important thing
is what is largely perceived as moral by the community by the people then is what is right and what is not acceptable by the people is what is wrong. In that context it then informs the effective. The effective is how are people loving or having an attachment to their culture. And so anybody who offends that culture then sits out of it and I've said that culture then becomes what it becomes the question of what is good or what is wrong. Then lastly in that that effective bit informs the judgment which then informs something I call
the evaluational component of a political culture. Now the evolutional component of a political culture is very simple that we look at is it right or wrong. If it is wrong then the evaluation will will classify it as not qualified and then you're off. Now for example just what we've discussed here right now what you have just read our political culture as a people generally one is that the basis or or the or the base of political culture is that you must not be able to kill even from the Bible do not kill. Okay. Whatever was
done was an attempted murder by abducting this fellow. Because were it not that there was a dash cam, were it not that this guy was of some uh standard in terms of uh is is is standing in the community. Mhm. They would have disappeared him. Okay. This is what I call unacceptable by by many communities. In my community where I come from taking somebody that fashion is wrong. If there's a conflict what should happen in our political culture as a people is that we go to the maki or we go to the family and report
that nu is becoming uh ungovernable ungovernable we need to talk to Nu. Okay. Now when somebody who is not in agreement with D then snatches D off the road and takes them to Masinga and drops them at Masinga, it is not acceptable by many. Two, stealing is not acceptable in a political culture that even in in in in the things I've talked about in terms of primordial Africa and and postcolonial Africa, you will find one thing, stealing is still not acceptable in both cultures. And if you steal, you must be reprimanded. So to come into
your question and answer it rightly so the majority and I call the silent majority or the growing silent majority who are of course now afraid even to talk on social media from what I hear afraid they're afraid to talk on social media but they know they have a power somewhere and I've already said it before they are waiting for what is called veto power in that veto power they are not talking they're waiting at a particular moment to flush out people who are not working in the political culture which the country had adopted post 2002.
Yeah. Okay. And the question that the other parties talk about for example let's draw a dichotomy the president versus the opposition the president is continuously on top of cars wherever he is he's saying you know what I have I have an agenda my agenda is this I'm building X I'm building that I'm building that and on that side and his team are saying you know what shiny things don't take us nowhere what we care about is the preamble of the constitution now many people will dismissa for example and say ah just preamble can you give
us an agenda The agenda then is in this question. What is the acceptable standard? By whom? By the society. Yeah. The bigger part of the society. If the bigger part of the society is accepting that Cifuna is actually doing the right thing, then Sifuna is going to be controlling the political culture. And that one then informs his agenda because then the silent majority or the growing silent majority could be leaning towards him. And I've said before even to those who are around the president, I've told them look the president needs to do something very simple.
Let him shift from this standing and and and occupying the government position and talking down against the people. Mhm. Because the people now look at him not as one of them because in a political contest the person who will always win is the underdog. Oh okay. Yes. The person that the people see as inviting of their support will always win. But if you don't invite of the of the support of the people you'll really win. So it would seem as though somebody who's been, you know, practiced in politics would understand that this is the position
that should be taken and that you would then want to be in a position whereby you take on the people's position. But we don't see that happening really. There's a cabal of people who've decided that this is our it doesn't matter what side that you're on. This is our little circle and we know how we're going to navigate it. Is it blindness? What is it? It is it is pure blindness. That's what I'm telling you. If I were around the president and if I were next to him even for 2 minutes, I will tell the
president, go to a class of public speaking, public speaking will teach you one thing, talk from the side of the people. For example, do let me tell you in uh June on June 25th, 2024, I was in Mombasa, actually days before I was in Mombasa, and I called one of the closest people to the president and I told him, you know what, this is going to sound unorthodox, but you see those guys in the street, they only need one thing. They're talking about rejection of this financial bill. So what you have to do, please if
you can and if you can listen to me, this will work for you. Tell the president to go where the people are. But he's going where they are. Is he not going where they are? He's going there. I mean, are we not saying the couple of next couple of days there's you know tita, there's no back then. Back then in I told him, let the president appear in the streets with the people. Okay. not as a PR stint but one to listen to what people are actually saying and two is a representative of the people
because in Kenya we have something called dual legitimacy. This dual legitimacy is one that gives the MPs a direct a direct election by the people and also gives the president a direct election from the people direct mandate from the people. Now if these guys are both having a direct legitimacy or dual legitimacy then the president occupies the higher part of it and if he appears in the says you know what guys what you're saying is true I'm going with you to parliament do you think people would have died for example no the level of excitement
that would have changed on the ground that day people just say oh okay so he listens so he's come to us let me give you example Maguouli here in Tanzania was an autocrat pure autocrat in fact our president is even much [laughter] Maguouli under his regime, somebody was shot 16 times to Yeah. And he was brought at Nairobi. Yes. Maguouli did so many bad things in Tanzania. Very bad things. But look at how he was with the people. In fact, his perfect smokec screen was that when you touch the people, I'm done with you. Yeah.
As much as he's dealing with the position, he bought he got a buy in to the people from the people. So Maguouli would be the perfect the perfect script that will guide this president in my view if he just did away with the autocracy and say I am for the people when I go to the people I will not be defending the government I'll be defending the people because in defending the people you are still defending the government and is that enough for the people to have a departure then from him it's not enough it's
not enough what must be done is work must be done and in political socialization for example this country has said after Every election politicians run away. They promise us every election they run away. We have nothing that they're talking about. When the president, for example, and I want to look at the people around him again, he goes to a place like uh let me say where where I was talking about Kula road. Yes. And he says, I will build this road. Of course, sometimes it's not in the budget. Most times, most times it's not in
the budget. But you see d when you when I meet you and you tell me that let's let's have coffee on Wednesday. [laughter] Let's use another example. [laughter] Okay, let's another example. You don't do I will I will get your flight to to to New Zealand on uh in 1 month. Okay. It's coming from a genuine point. I truly want because maybe there's there's a conference you're going to and I really want you to be there or there's this South African thing that is happening and I I would want you to be there and do
I'll do this for you. Mhm. my assistant who is listening because majorly I don't deal with actual transactions should be able to note and effect and guide me if I am not following up on this right okay or if you can't do it this can't be this is the situation promise this yeah yeah and they should be able to guide me this is the budget line whatever is remaining in your account cannot finance travel to New Zealand so don't say it okay but now the president is being failed number one by the people around him
and number two himself he's blinded and he must have an awakening that is 340 something or 50 something days to election and in the agenda setting of a nation you cannot just go and stand and say you guys have no agenda you must also say what do we have and I'm happy in the last few months uh especially on the issue of vision 2016 I saw the president try to invite people into a conversation but do you see what is happening there's a trust deficit people saying who you to lead agenda 2060 where because you've
not led this one before because you've not whatever you've promised before has not come through and if it has come through it is coming a little bit late let me tell you for example do mhm when you promise that I'll build a a road in the next 6 months and then after 6 months this road is not built you you set a legitimate expectation amongst your audience okay they were feeling excited at the time you're saying you'll build this road within 6 months or 7 months. Within 7 months the road is not built. Then at
the seventh month is when the tractors are on site. It takes another one year for them to finish the road. What is happening here is not your promise being fulfilled. It is how the people feel about how you deal with their conscience. It's called expectation violation theory. So here is a situation where the president as we speak is saying that you know listen that the people who are telling you that they want to if if I if if come the election in 2027 and I don't win well and good but what he's done one might
argue quite brilliantly is that he has deflated or in his mind tried to then deflate what the what the option is by saying that there is no agenda. But more and more and I could be deceived but more and more we are hearing that people are not going for the other option necessarily because they know what they're bringing but that they don't want you. Kenyans have been known to vote and this is Kenyans have been known to vote out people and not necessarily vote in anybody who [clears throat] was going to bring in a particular
knowledge. So it could still be does it look like it's still playing into the hands of the people whereby the president may say you don't have an these people don't have an agenda but that's not how Kenyans make a decision. Good. Again, I'll rely on this writing that talks about there's a reason why I want us to talk about this thing about political because it answers the question. Okay. For a long time, the Kenyan political environment and the Kenyan political uh the Kenyan voter has been a somebody I call a parochial citizen. A parochial citizen
is one that does not expect anything from the political system. Okay? Uh because and and they make no demand on it. You remember before 2002 the Kenyan citizenry was ruled over completely. In fact they look at the system and said nothing will come out of it. They give up. Like Uganda [clears throat] for example they will give up. They say it's it's it's the muse. What do you expect? Leave them alone. We don't have anything to gain from them. Parochial citizenry. M now it has moved into a participant kind of audience and a participant audience
is a little bit different with the advent of social media in early 20 there about in 2010s now they're more engaging because you don't we we are moving from what is called preentry where we are saying that uh information is one way now you must engage this voter because what they're looking at is how They are holding you on account of their vote because they know that their vote has some power. They've been taught in school that their vote has some power and they're saying you're not just going to have me as your subject. I
am a participant. I am going to ask you questions and I want you to answer and that is why you see there is sort of a hangover from a particular sect of the political divide which thinks that you can actually just wake up and pass some things and do things in a particular way that they were done before before forgetting that the median age of the Kenyan voter the Kenyan population today is 20. M this is somebody who was literally born in the age of social media who understands engagement they don't understand one way communication
and so most of our politicians right from MCA level to our national politics want to look at politics in terms of them being the lords and not the subjects right the sovereign in this country is not the politician the sovereign in this country is the voter and so you're not going to the voter to lie to them because one They have Google. They can Google you. They can fact check what you're saying if it is right. If it is wrong, they can see it right on their phones and they can be able to tell you
off at that moment. That's why you see, for example, the political culture has shifted from what we used to see as rallies and now it is going into town halls. Why do you think that the for example the regime is investing in town halls and not much of rallies? Why do you think for example people like Cifuna and and Gashagua are sitting into closed door meetings with groups of 150 200 and not concentrating on going for rallies is because it is going to be more expensive. Yes. And it's going to be more expensive because the
political culture that we have adopted. We've moved from parochial uh citizenry and parochial participation and from subject political culture to a participant political culture. So you cannot hoodwink them. You must have a proper agenda that number one satisfies the social contract which the people have agreed upon in 2010 and that is the constitution. If you dev from the constitution the people unfortunately shall shall come to where you are and show you what they actually mean because there's no leader in this in in the world in my study of politics that is happy seeing people in
the street. No, there's no in the world that is happy having a desperate population. Let me put it as such because you asked a question that could we be having a silent agenda which people are just saying we'd rather anybody but not you right that is a desperate moment and I've always sounded this and and these platforms give us the chance to even reverberate it right that desperate times call for desperate measures desperate measures don't often give us the best results when somebody says for example anybody but M they're no longer looking at an agenda.
They're just looking at let's move this person out and let's have anything else and then fight from there. From fight from there. Yes. Okay. and some of those desperate times. If you'll allow me again, the latitude is one that we saw last night and with the abduction of our associate editor um Alex Kiproich um thankfully let go at about 2:00 a.m. uh today and then he was found about 10 um you know not not too far from Masinga and um that's about a couple of hours away from Nairobi and he was dumped there. Um our
CEO then has a message uh um as from that site in terms of what happened and we know that he's been found safe. The main interesting questions that he was being asked when he was being held uh but we'll get more information and of course repeat that information as we get it. So um let's hear that message. Yeah. So first of all I would like to say that this is really really a sad thing to happen in a country like Kenya that says it's a free country. It respects uh the freedom of the media and
the freedom of journalists to do their work as guaranteed in the constitution and yet the actions of the state indicate that um that is just you know a story lip service. So I'm really really sad and shocked by this act. I received a call yesterday from my colleague Tom Kipagon at around 9 9 29 9:30 that uh he had received a distress call from our colleague Alex of an an ongoing abduction an abduction that now Kenyans have seen um in camera that actually was done blatantly and in full disregard of the law and of course
I swung into action We made phone calls to police stations. We recorded statements both in Akuru and in Nairobi of the occurrence and went ahead to break the news um within um our television and newspaper and radio channels. After that we worked together with um our head of security around the clock to establish the exact whereabouts of uh our colleague and the people who had abducted him had switched off his phone. There was no way of finding out where he was. there was no way of reaching him which of course added a layer of trauma
to all this until fortunately at around um 3 a.m. [clears throat] We received a call from right where we stand that is at the ages of Masingaam um that um uh Alex had been dropped here in one of these tickets and um told that he's in Bingo and um that um you know he should not wake up until he's woken up and of course um we took the necessary action to come all the way here to rescue him and to be quite honest we are very grateful to the family that received him and uh gave
him sanctuary gave him a phone through which to contact us and gave him a place to stay and company until morning and of course secondly I would like to say we are really and truly honestly grateful to almighty god for taking care of him we cannot take it for granted because I don't think we are some of those people who uh invoke god's name like some of the people we know very well they invoke God's name and they do evil things and at this point I would like to you know God says that venance is
his and I know he remembers and I shall leave it there thank you as our group CEO Chacham and of course there we can see where he is um that they had gone on this rescue to go and get Alex Kipich who had been dumped at around 2 a.m. uh today and um where he was found um and of course what he has to say about what happened during that time. Uh Chhatamuto is Chacha Mamita is the standard group uh CEO and uh was there with a number of our other um management team to go
and get Alex. We're grateful that he is fine. Um the trauma that comes with that of course is one that has to be dealt with um moving into into the future. But the overarching message here is that the freedoms that have been guaranteed under the constitution then must be upheld. It doesn't matter if it's Alex Kiprich today or Mukura from 2024 whose mother still cannot find him. And the last known was entering into the back of a a police pickup on the day of the finance bill protests in 2024, June 25th. So here we don't
have a dichotomy. We have the same situation. Yeah, whether you're writing or whether you are editing for a newspaper, a standard group or whether you are protesting against unconstitutionalism, then this is what happens. This is very bad press for the for for the government. I I don't I don't I don't know who in their right mind would sit and just think let's go and abduct a standard media editor knowing so well what standard media is and then you go ahead to abduct and then you you enjoy the press for the whole for the whole in
fact midweek to the to the weekend this is going to be the conversation it is I I I don't I don't know who who these people are really this these are just people with very dark hearts and now when you speak Yeah because because when the video that you're playing Hearing a man scream the way uh uh Kiproish was screaming is not the last time I heard it was when somebody was being robbed. It's not something that is fashionable at all. That it will live long in his head. And by the way, this this is
a simple sign uh that the communication around the president has failed. These people cannot even implement diplomatic relations. We have something called media relations. It's basic. Get get the the the editor editor team of standard media group. Sit with them down. Ask them what do you think we should improve on? How do you think we should work? Establish a media relations sort of framework. There's none. There's none because [clears throat] everybody at state house has their desk in communication. Nobody is is commanding this. Remember during Uru's time for example Uru could have been one of
the worst presidents we've ever had but his communication was stellar because there was somebody there called Mano CPU Mhm. who was one respected by the media the current head of I don't know what in in the president's team I don't know who respects him. He cannot reach out and and talk to Kiproich. He cannot reach out and discuss things. Surely he cannot have an a mediation sort of to find out because when there's a conflict, the best thing you do is you sort it. You don't pour fuel on the conflict because this is just pouring
fuel. This is bad press and for government any bad press. If I were the president, I would be firing people right now. Bad press for me. I'll be firing people. the police would have swung into action straight away because now these policemen who who are taking this guy uh kotich they're known their vehicle is well is is is there and we even identify there actually government vehicles which means we know who because a government a government vehicle does not leave without some signed there's some paper that they move around with it is well known where
where they are going what assignment in an electioneering year bonar avoid any bad press as much as you can especially where it is intentional from from your officers and avoid bad press because this election it's going to be contested heavily the best thing you can do is to be as humble as a dove and the whole regime those who are listening stop it as we come to the head of this conversation it's interesting how we can tie things together isn't it because earlier you talked about the fact that if you are not resonating ing with
the people, then you're going to have a bit of a problem having them make a decision about you. This is humanitarian no matter how you look at it. And how then do you say how do you connect the two to say under my watch things like this happen? But I'm asking you again to vote for me to vote for me and allow the country to be under my watch. Can you can you do that? Yeah. Then when you're defeated, you ask yourself how was I defeated? But you can see whatever you were doing. Look, it
is it is very simple that as long as as the leader you give autonomy to special teams, special ops to do whatever they're doing. You will hear from the returning officer. A good place to end. Thank you for joining us this morning. You know, let's bring back that book. So, it's very huge. Next time. [laughter] Good morning, everybody. This is the situation room.
