I am told of a shop in Dubai that sells carrier bags from prestigious design houses across the globe. The target market is not luxury shoppers but visitors who want to appear as though they shopped at those stores.
They buy the bags to create an impression about their trip, where they visited and where they shopped without purchasing a single product. That is the power of illusion. Creating impressions has become such a big deal that an industry now exists solely to serve it. Unfortunately, illusions are never sustainable. Many people are dying in relationships that look perfect from the outside, others are barely surviving toxic corporate environments for the success image, while countless more are sinking into debt to maintain lifestyles they cannot afford.
Illusions may offer momentary comfort or admiration, but they never hold. And when they collapse, as they always do, the damage is far worse than whatever truth one may have been running from in first place.
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The just concluded by-elections were nothing but a classic battle in political illusions. What unfolded was an elaborate effort by each team to either create or maintain images that suited their preferred narratives at whatever cost.
The united opposition was keen to project itself as the most formidable, viable alternative to the current administration. They purposed to come across as strategic, coordinated and most importantly, united. The ruling coalition, on the other hand, sought to demonstrate its continued national reach particularly in regions where public discontent has been growing. Both camps carefully curated their messaging heavily investing in optics from rallies and meetings to create the perfect illusion.
And that should worry us. Politics built on illusion is empty of what truly counts. We may excuse the social media influencer projecting an illusion of success on Instagram, after all, the consequences are largely personal. But the same cannot be said of a country. Issues that inform the wellbeing of a society are far too critical to be grounded on perception alone. The cost is too high and borne by millions, for generations.
Real progress is built on real work not illusions. It may be less glamorous to invest time, though and integrity to doing things the right way, but the results are worth it. Our politics should be built around real growth, policies, systems and plans that can be seen, measured and actually experienced by citizens. That is what builds a lasting legacy and ensure structures that can withstand propaganda and ever shifting political winds. That said, illusions persist because citizens enthusiastically respond to them. We are easily excited by political drama and often reward those who appeal to our emotions more than those who demonstrate competence. Politicians, fully aware of this, have learned that grand displays of might win faster than detailed plans on how to fix things. And because of that, service delivery becomes secondary as all camps devote their effort to building and maintaining the most appealing illusion.
But just like all illusions, with time, they collapse. A story is told in my village of a feared and revered seer whose reputation alone kept the entire community in check. He was spoken of in hushed tones and villagers relied on his counsel for even the most mundane decisions. Then came a quiet, curious boy who believed he, too, could do what the seer had long monopolised. The community, over time, discovered that the boy’s remedies were just as effective, sometimes, even better. One day a crisis struck while the seasoned seer was away. In desperation, the villagers turned to the young man. Word got to the great seer of the boy’s attempt at handling the crisis but he laughed if off, confident that the boy would fail and in so doing, reaffirm his supremacy.
Then the boy solved the crisis. For a moment, the entire village froze in terror before erupting in song and dance. In that moment, they realised what had held them hostage for generations was nothing more than an illusion. I hear the great seer never returned. Such is the folly of illusions. They never hold.
Ms Wekesa is a development communication consultant
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By Faith Wekesa