Events that seem designed to keep us angry, in crisis mode

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The tragic dormitory fire at Utumishi Academy claimed the lives of 16 students. [File, Standard]

If you can make your enemies angry while staying calm yourself, you gain a decided advantage. Stage spectacles for those around you. Dazzled by appearances, no one will notice what you are really doing— Robert Greene, The 48 Laws of Power.

Every event in Kenya these days seems designed to keep Kenyans in a state of constant crisis, drama and anger, and provide cover for someone. That political systems under siege thrive on crisis, best explains why we rarely have a brand-new crisis in Kenya; why even the most tragic crisis seems eerily familiar.

It explains why all attempts to establish an effective national and county disaster preparedness mechanism have failed: Because corrupt systems survive on crisis—so much so that if a crisis does not happen, it becomes imperative to create one.