Advocate and political analyst Kepher Ojijo on Wednesday, urged political leaders to embrace discipline and loyalty within their parties, warning that public defiance of party positions amounts to insubordination and undermines cohesion in national politics.
Speaking on Radio Generation, Ojijo said discipline and loyalty are the cornerstones of effective leadership and strong party institutions.
“You cannot contradict your boss in public,” he stated. “That’s what we call insubordination, and in any organisation, that’s a ground for dismissal.”
Ojijo noted that many leaders confuse loyalty with weakness, yet true strength in politics comes from unity and respect for hierarchy.
“People confuse loyalty with weakness,” he said. “The strongest people I know are very loyal, and that is how it should be.”
He likened political discipline to military conduct, arguing that no institution can survive without a clear chain of command.
“Even Hitler said you cannot be a soldier without discipline. The same applies in politics, leaders must show unity publicly, even if they disagree privately,” he said.
Ojijo contrasted the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), noting that while ODM allows open debate, it still requires members to respect collective decisions once reached.
“We can disagree internally, but when we step out, that should remain the party’s position,” he explained. “ODM must now ensure members distinguish between personal opinions and official party stances.”
The advocate said ODM’s current leadership transition, with Senator Oburu Odinga acting as interim leader and Gladys Wanga as national chair, should reinforce internal order, not open factional conflict.
He also urged parties in government, like UDA, to prioritise unity in public communication to prevent confusion among supporters.
“When the public sees leaders fighting openly, it undermines credibility,” Ojijo warned. “Politics is about perception. People believe what they see.”
In his analogy, Ojijo described political wrangles as inevitable but said they must have limits.
“Internal fights are healthy; they help people grow. But there must be boundaries. Once a party votes on an issue, that becomes the collective position,” he said.
Kepher Ojijo’s reflections on loyalty and discipline in Kenya’s political landscape reaffirms a fundamental truth, that unity within political parties is not a sign of weakness but a mark of maturity and institutional strength.
His argument that “you cannot contradict your boss in public” speaks to the essence of collective responsibility, a principle that sustains both leadership credibility and party cohesion.
Ojijo’s stance also exposes a broader challenge within Kenya’s political culture, where internal disagreements often spill into public discourse, eroding confidence among supporters.
By warning that public defiance breeds disunity, Ojijo reminds leaders that politics is built on perception, and that the public draws its faith from the image of solidarity presented by its leaders.
