Alfred Mutua, the Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary in Kenya, has highlighted a critical social issue where the behaviour of leaders at public events like funerals can set a negative precedent for younger generations.
“Leaders abused each other at burials until our children saw it was okay to abuse people,” CS Alfred Mutua said.
“You will never hear me abusing another person. There is a habit of leaders abusing each other at funerals. They abused each other until our children, who are now grown up, saw it was okay. Our children have now started abusing the President,” he added.
In many African cultures, including Kenyan, funerals are not just ceremonies for mourning but significant community events where leaders often speak.
These occasions are watched by community members of all ages, making them influential in shaping societal norms and behaviours. Leaders have been using the funeral podium to usher in insults.
“Let us not fight the youth; we cannot defeat them! I believe for everyone who goes astray, someone will come to show the way. Let us listen to them and show them the way if we believe they have gone astray. They have the biggest weapons to destroy us,” said Senator Ledama Ole Kina.
Mutua points out the role-model effect, where children observe and potentially emulate the behaviours of adults, especially those in leadership or public roles.
If leaders engage in verbal abuse or heated exchanges, this could normalize such behaviour among the youth, teaching them that confrontation or disrespect is an acceptable way to handle disagreements or grief.
Historically, political funerals in Kenya have sometimes turned into platforms for political discourse, where leaders might use the occasion to score political points or attack opponents.
This has led to instances where decorum is lost, and the solemnity of the event is overshadowed by political vitriol.
For real change to occur, there needs to be a collective acknowledgement of this issue by both the public and leaders.
Media, civil society, and educational systems could play roles in promoting discussions on leadership ethics and the impact of public behaviour on youth.
Alfred Mutua’s statement serves as a call to action for introspection among leaders and society at large about the messages and behaviours they are passing down to future generations.
It underscores the need for leaders to be mindful of their actions in all settings, recognizing their influence beyond politics into the realm of social norms and values.