Why we need new celebrities.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga

We need a new set of celebrities in Kenya. Politicians alone are not enough.

Yes, there are actors and singers who we ‘all’ know. However, do we accord them the same attention that we do politicians?

I am not saying that politicians are bad. Nevertheless, the same may not be said for all of them – a topic for another day.

I once saw a video of the child who could recite the names of all the 47 Kenyan governors at the time. It was very impressive given her age. Though it got me wondering: how is it that they are so famous, enough to be known even by a toddler?

It is then that I stumbled on a rather unfortunate realization. Every time we watch television or listen to our radios, it is politicians that dominate the headlines. This is the same case with newspapers. When was the last time your favourite musician appeared on the first page of your newspaper? or even as the first news item on television?

Mass media is our primary avenue of information access. We know and value our politicians more because they are all we see in the media. For instance, I know more about Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga than I do about Sauti Soul, arguably our foremost music celebrities.

The media plays a major if not the foremost role in the making of celebrities. Take ‘githeri-man’ for example. If not for the press, none of us would have known or even considered his actions. For which he was later awarded the prestigious Head of State Commendation (HSC) and other goodies. The guy was not a politician. He simply showed us that elections are ‘never that serious’.

In principle, celebrity can come from any of the numerous fields or professions. Not just politics. Unfortunately, as it is right now, the balance is greatly tilted in the favour of politicians.

The greatest disadvantage is that our options for role models are thus limited. We overlook our musicians, actors, athletes and even captains of industry. As a result, even those would be role models successful in fields other than politics, end up joining it in the end. Right now, if we made a list of the most influential people in Kenya, there would be no room for ‘others’ alongside politicians, and senior government officials. Why must this be the case?

In the western world, some of the most sought-after characters are not politicians. In fact, not a single politician featured on the popular social media app, Instagram’s, ‘top 10 most followed’ list. Even ‘CEO insider’s’ top 65 list of the most influential people in the world, has a fusion of both politicians and non-politicians. An apparent balance.

A world that has Beyoncé, Lebron James, Will Smith, Bill Gates and so many more, allows for citizens to dream further away from politics. This tends to diversify a society’s economy further away from the hold of the business of politics. This means that other fields also get to effectively contribute to the economy.

The future of societies held solely by the business of politics always appears bleak whenever the status quo is challenged. This is especially so during elections. Sadly, most African states are in this precarious situation. It could also be in part why Africans are very forgiving of failed politicians. Simply put, we have no other leaders to look up to.

Some may argue, politicians are rich, so they will always dominate. I cannot blame them. They just have never tasted or imagined better. In other parts of the world, the wealthiest people are not politicians. They are captains of industry, sportsmen, actors and most recently, even social media influencers, such as Kylie Jenner.

So how do we as Africa and as a country, move away from the single-sourced celebrities?

I believe that the media has a key role to play. We must borrow from the ‘githeri-man’ formula. The airtime playing field ought to be leveled out between politics and the other fields. I want to know more about Manu Chandaria and Sauti Sol so that I can emulate them. Consequently, when the 2 politicians fight, that will be their business. I will be more interested in what the business mind at ‘Centum Investments’ wants to do next.

The level of investment in mass media’s supporting structures must also be improved upon. For example, the journalism field needs to be broader. We cannot have a political journalist covering music or sports. It needs to be more niche-based for more effective representation of the other fields. Specific 24/7 news segments could even be created. A good example is the American NBC’s E-News or TMZ which are solely dedicated to reporting on non-political pop culture.

Everything Kenyan must be developed as a brand of its own. Whether it is acting, music or sports. India toiled to make Bollywood one of the most revered entertainment industries in the world. England campaigned to make the English Premier League the most watched in the globe. The French have fought hard to make Paris the earth’s fashion capital. The biggest beneficiaries of these efforts have been the actors, footballers, designers and the general economies of those countries.

Public participation through appreciation and spending will also be key. We must ‘buy Kenya to build Kenya’. Kindly buy your favorite artist’s music CD, do not borrow or buy a pirated one. Do not order your lipstick from China. Buy a ticket to the Kenyan premier league games. Do not just watch it on ‘SuperSport’. This will help foster the other fields as ‘well-paying’ endeavors. 

In conclusion, we must commend the work by private companies on signing endorsement deals with Kenyan musicians and actors. This has really elevated the game. At least something is being done.

Aaron Ochieng Ogunde.