THE DEMONS OF POLITICAL NARCISSISM AND SYCOPHANCY IN KENYA

In the current obscure Kenyan political landscape, political madness (for lack of a better word) has become pandemic manifesting itself in two ways; Narcissism and Sycophancy. The desperate manoeuvres by the opposition party CORD in Kenya to remain relevant is a classic exhibition of the said disorders. Useless calls for dialogue and constant exaggerations of a looming economic and political cataclysm has become the new ambition of the fast fading Raila Odinga.

It is unfortunate that we Kenyans have to endure endless time and resource wasting political rallies in order to accommodate the views of a few avaricious CORD leaders lost in Marxist ideologies. These narcissistic political forays fuelled by blunt and blind sycophantic loyalty, has created a nauseating mistrust amongst an otherwise beautiful peaceful people of Kenya.

  The insatiable desire to be President has made Raila Odinga compromise the very fabric that has held this country together for 51 years, PEACE. His constant banging at doors in the corridors of presiding powers to have someone listen to his tittle-tattle has become a nuisance to say the least. Kenyans have become weary of those who are crying wolf and antagonizing communities in their quest to occupy the house on the hill.

No one is disputing the fact that Kenya and its people are facing a myriad of challenges, unemployment to insecurity you name it. But, the insinuations by the CORD leadership that these were birthed or chiefly caused by the Jubilee government is misleading and grossly exaggerated. For a government that has been in power for just over a year now, it is annoying for anyone to expect the past injustices to be remedied with one swing of a magic wand. Unfortunately this is what the opposition is selling to the masses making them believe that they, given a chance will do exactly that.... yah right!!! What tangible economic activity has CORD or Raila ever done to change and/ or improve the lives of those in their so called strongholds? What would CORD or Raila be remembered for other than noise making, and disCORD?

Silently seated on the other side of the fence is an even larger mass that voted in the current government watching with disdain the political circus shows by the opposition. Wondering when all these madness will end and more meaningful mature politics commence. We all live in this country and face the same challenges whether you are a Jubilee or CORD supporter but I don't see Jubilee supporters’ up in arms calling for a revolution. Does that mean Jubilee supporters are probably shielded from life's tragedies that is currently facing CORD supporters? Forgive my cynicism! On a lighter note the so called opposition have become nothing but some comic relief on our TV sets every evening. Should President Uhuru heed these CORD’s rackets? I believe I represent the views of the majority when I say without flinching….HELL NO!!! Jubilee’s administration has made it clear that they will not have any dialogue with the “nothing better to do CORD” and the supporters of Jubilee government are 100% behind that decision. In a free and democratic country like Kenya no one should think they can coerce another to have unwarranted dialogue. 

Commenting on a recent careless statement made by a member of the opposition who in public made a vow not to ever work with Jubilee government and promised to make the work of President Uhuru and Deputy President Ruto impossible, I then wonder how the so called “dialogue" would resolve the underlying and unreasonable hostilities currently existing.

CORD has expressed in no uncertain terms that unless they are the ones holding the reins of power this country has no hope and they have created an illusion that they are the only ones in possession of the magic pill that would heal this ailing nation of Kenya. Born out of Raila's overwhelming lust for power this notion has been cultivated for years in the hope that he will one day be called MR. PRESIDENT at whatever cost. To this man Raila, the end justifies the means. His supporters have bought into this illusive notion engaging the country in endless campaigns. Narcissism and sycophancy emerged with some western powers acting as the catalytic agents in order to further their own selfish economic ambitions.

For these powerful western nations narcissism and sycophancy was a malady they quickly identified and took advantage of at the expense of the people of this beautiful country. Downplaying the need for cohesion they sought to indirectly influence the political outcomes through these two channels of disorder (narcissism and sycophancy) resulting in tumultuous political episodes in Kenya. We were left reeling from the effects of this western machinations back in 2007/2008 general elections. 

Lack of patriotism (which is impossible if you possess narcissistic tendencies) has seen some of our so called leaders sell their birth rights to the western nations. Raila "the darling of the west" as he is often referred to has nothing to offer this nation other than what will dictated to him by his western masters. For years a sizeable chunk of the CORD leaders held powerful portfolios in previous governments and they have nothing to show for it. They did zero then but they now promise to take us to the promise land.  Hmm! you make up your own mind and believe what you must but this much I know, the era of mass action and myopic political reactions are gone. We need to be responsible for our own actions and the current Jubilee government has a five year mandate to do what it must within the time frame provided by the constitution without constant wasteful and unhealthy badgering. 

Parliament provides a good forum for an effective opposition and must be used as such. CORD members can express their views and change laws they deem counterproductive in this constitutionally recognized forum. Unfortunately they have decided to rally around a person rather than principles they hold true. The big man syndrome they claim to abhor is deeply embedded in their camp and which they fervently worship. Without Raila CORD is as good as dead and they know it and that is why they look displaced and wobbly with their big man (Baba!) outside the August house. The agitation for dialogue is purely to have their "Baba" recognized as a force to reckon with or an equal to Uhuru and Ruto. The relegation of their "Baba" in the recent held elections did not sit well with these sycophants and they have since been devising ways of resurrecting their "Baba", you see a sycophant cannot function without a narcissist. On the other hand a narcissistic leader prefers the sparkle and glamour of well-orchestrated illusions to the tedium and method of real accomplishments. His reign is all smoke and mirrors, devoid of substances, consisting of mere appearances and mass delusions.

 A portion form an article (Narcissists and Sycophants: A Marriage Made in Hell) July 29, 2009, I recently read and have shared below outlines the relationship that exists between a narcissist and a sycophant. It makes for a good reading.

Narcissism noun (Concise Encyclopedia)

Mental disorder characterized by extreme self-absorption, an exaggerated sense of self-importance, and a need for attention and admiration from others.

A narcissist is a person with inordinate fascination with himself or herself. They have few social control mechanisms, fewer friends, little or no psychic demands to do the right thing (even though they give lip service to this concept) do not look for approval from others, lack social barometers of how to conduct themselves, and are driven to be captivating, inspirational, charming and seductive. They have a desperate need to get others to buy into their world view–their vision, to create a world that they populate with their devoted followers. They are grandiose, don’t listen to others, are prone to angry outbursts (often used to control others who disagree with them), bully subordinates, dominate meetings and are often isolated and paranoid. According to Twenge and Campbell, narcissism is “a disease that causes others to suffer.” Narcissism is nearly always corrosive to social relationships as it breeds distrust. Narcissists are prone to using people like they use books, information and knowledge—they pump them for information and then when they are through, throw them aside. To the narcissist, there are only friends or foes; you are either for or against their vision. There is no middle ground.

sy·co·phan·cy noun (Merriam Webster)

obsequious flattery

sycophant        :  a person who praises powerful people in order to get their approval

:  a servile self-seeking flatterer

Sycophants are self-serving servile flatterers and are often slavishly submissive to the narcissist.  The narcissist and the sycophant need each other. The narcissist is completely dependent on the sycophant to feed his ego, to feel important and powerful.  The sycophant, on the other hand, is also dependent on the narcissist for the narcissist makes the sycophant feel included and connected to someone the sycophant believes is powerful and important and will elevate the sycophant to great success, recognition or social standing. The sycophant derives a lot of self-worth from the narcissist as the relationship with the narcissist gives the sycophant social standing he otherwise would not have. In short, the relationship between the narcissist and sycophant is symbiotic; each feeding and dependent on the other. Without sycophants, the narcissist struggles, becomes depressed and feels his or her life has no meaning. A narcissist must have blind allegiance and the adoration of sycophantic followers because that is the food of the narcissist. Most often, a narcissist surrounds him or herself with “yes men” (slavishly submissive flatterers) who the narcissist sees as no threat to him or herself but yet, who are also not much good for advancing the narcissist’s vision. But that is OK with the narcissist, because he or she has all the answers, knows what is best and right and doesn't listen to others anyway. The “yes men” are the means to an end, they help the narcissist get what he or she wants and will only be kept close as long as they serve a purpose.

As a group, sycophants find meaning and purpose out of protecting and becoming the narcissist’s handlers. They bond with other sycophants in this common purpose and are simultaneously validated by each other for how dysfunctional this interpersonal interplay is, either on a conscious or unconscious level, depending on the dysfunction of each individual. In such groups, everyone suffers. There are no winners in this symbiotic relationship. The narcissist’s hold is so great it is hard for the sycophant to escape the narcissist’s seductive embrace. At some point, depending on the amount of pain the sycophant has had to endure, they will wake up when they are no longer able to tolerate being used or when their own ethics or integrity will no longer permit them to be passive participants in the destructive world of the narcissist. Faced with abandonment, the narcissist acts more and more out of desperation, devolves deeper into his or her pathology and ends up alone and even more isolated, completing the cycle of narcissistic self-destruction.

In the end, narcissists die alone and sycophants suffer stunted emotional and psychological growth, unless they grow strong enough to break their addiction and choose to value their own self-worth instead of abandoning it for the advancement of the narcissist.

CONCLUSION

Let us be a people who rally behind real and life changing corporate ideas that will move this nation to the next level rather than rally behind people championing their own advancement masquerading as liberators. But first let us be true to our country we are after all, Kenyans.