Mosiria Breaks Down the Math Showing Why Political Handouts Hurt Kenyans

Nairobi Chief Officer for Citizen Engagement and Customer Care Geoffrey Mosiria has launched a blistering critique of Kenya’s entrenched political handout culture, warning that token gestures continue to mask deep governance failures while quietly costing Kenyans millions in lost income.

In a strongly worded statement issued on Tuesday, Mosiria accused some political leaders of exploiting citizens through theatrics and short-term giveaways instead of addressing the structural challenges that undermine livelihoods across the country. He argued that such practices reduce governance to optics rather than results.

Leaders Turn Governance Into “Seasonal Photo Sessions”

Mosiria said many politicians have transformed public service into performance, where citizens are mobilised to clap and cheer rather than benefit from lasting solutions.

“It is both funny and painful how people have slowly been turned into professional clappers by leaders who should be busy transforming lives,” Mosiria said.

“Leadership, in many places, has been reduced to seasonal photo sessions.”

He described scenes common during festive seasons such as Christmas, where wananchi spend entire days lining up under the scorching sun, only to receive a few packets of maize flour worth a few shillings.

“Cameras flash, people clap, and everyone is expected to believe a great favor has been done,” he added.

The Reality Behind Political ‘Generosity’

Mosiria further lifted the lid on what he termed the illusion of generosity, noting that much of the maize flour distributed at political events often comes from corporate donations or supermarkets seeking to offload near-expiry stock.

“The leader did not grow the maize, did not mill it, and in many cases did not even buy it. Yet they smile for the camera as if they personally sacrificed everything for the people,” he said.

“That is not empowerment; that is cheap public relations. PS: No Mwananchi gain, only individual political gain.”

Applauding Leaders for Returning Public Money

The Nairobi official also pointed out the irony of citizens applauding leaders for distributing resources drawn from public funds originally meant to support development.

“In some cases, funds meant for development disappear, and what remains is returned to wananchi in the form of handouts,” Mosiria said.

“We clap, we sing praises, and we thank leaders for using our own resources to make us feel grateful and sometimes even foolish.”

The Numbers That Expose the Cost of Handouts

To demonstrate the economic damage caused by such practices, Mosiria broke down the hidden cost of political handout events using a simple calculation.

“Spending an entire day waiting for a packet of unga worth about Sh140 is not help. That same day, a person could earn at least Sh300 through casual work,” he explained.

He illustrated the impact using an event involving 1,000 people:

• Value of unga distributed: Sh140,000

• Potential earnings lost by wananchi: Sh300,000

• Net loss to citizens: Sh160,000 in a single day

According to Mosiria, the figures expose how handouts often deepen poverty instead of alleviating it.

Charity Should Not Become Control

Mosiria clarified that his remarks do not oppose helping the vulnerable but target the replacement of empowerment with dependency.

“This is not an attack on giving. Helping the vulnerable matters. But when handouts replace education, opportunity, and long-term solutions, they become tools of control,” he said.

“Leaders who rely on such tactics are not lifting people; they are managing them.”

Demanding Dignity, Not Dependency

He concluded by urging Kenyans to reject the culture of celebrating handouts and instead demand accountability, dignity, and measurable results from those in power.

Mosiria argued that real leadership should be judged by how many people no longer need handouts, not by how many packets of unga are distributed.

“Let us stop applauding poverty. Let’s stop celebrating handouts. Let us start demanding dignity, opportunity, and results. Because progress does not come in a plastic bag,” he said.

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