By Jackson Kinyanjui
Power is a seductive
force, capable of captivating the mind and soul with its irresistible allure.
It can be as addictive as a drug, with a potency that leaves those who seek it
forever changed. Like a mirage in the desert, it appears to promise salvation,
but ultimately leads to ruin. Power has been likened to a flame that can either
illuminate or consume, depending on how it is wielded. Before the birth of democracy,
those who sought to wield power did it by sword. However, times have changed
and in the 21st century, one, man vote can change the power course of a nation.
Last week, Nigerians were
on the ballot to elect their leader after the current president Muhammadu Buhari's
term reached its expiry date. Last year here in Kenya we went to an election
that was one of the most peaceful elections that was ever held in Kenya. Were
power just a word, we would not have people killing each other over it. Teodoro
Obiang Nguema of Equatorial Guinea just the other day extended his 43-year
rule.
The corrupting influence
of power is often compared to a black hole, with an insatiable hunger that
devours everything in its path. Those who become consumed by it can find
themselves trapped in a cycle of greed and manipulation, where their thirst for
control knows no bounds. Some people are voted in because citizens view them as
an ideal solution to their current problems but when these individuals get
power, they change just like a chameleon! How many politicians have been taken
to court in our beloved country due to corruption scandals? The list is endless.
Like a virus that infects every part of the body, power can spread and corrupt
even the most virtuous of individuals.
Power like a Pandora's
box once opened, it can never be fully closed, and the consequences of its
release can be catastrophic. Those who seek power often justify their actions
as necessary for the greater good, but the pursuit of power can quickly become
an end in itself, with no regard for the consequences. With power comes the
potential for greatness and the seeds of destruction. In last year's general
election in Kenya business personnel was leaving their lucrative jobs just to
join politics, just for power! Why does
someone spend billions during campaign period for a job whose salary is just
1.5 million monthly? , containing within it both the potential for greatness
and the seeds of destruction.
In the end, power is a
double-edged sword, capable of both empowering and corrupting. It can be
wielded for the betterment of humanity, or it can be used to oppress and
subjugate. When Hitler got power, World War II came to be. During Hitler's`
regime, Nazis killed about 11 million people. Saddam Hussein, the Iraq former
president, Saddam used terror and murdered his people using gas to subdue the
Kurds. He attacked Iran and 1 million people died. The challenge lies in
recognizing the true nature of power, and understanding that the true measure
of power is not in how much one possesses, but in how one chooses to use it.
Power is good! Barrack
Obama used power in a good manner and transformed America, Nelson Mandela
brought a change in South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi achieved a lot in India and
Abraham Lincoln used power to abolish slavery and grant slave freedom.
Maybe there is more to
power than we know .Secrets politicians do not divulge .There is more to leadership
than the politics of it all.
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