There is the science of war and then there is the art of war. One is the methodologies of tackling terrain, weaponry and endurance. The other is artistic, fluid and subtle. The art of war emphasizes the ability to disguise yourself. The art of appearing weak when you are strong, especially when you’re very strong. The art of appearing friendly when in raid. To NOT be an open book to your enemy in the name of transparency. The one who adopts such philosophy  admits that he has enemies and that he’s at war or at risk of one.  

But you need not adopt the philosophy to have enemies or to be at war. Every time a speaker in government forums or events  wants to emphasize that the President is the most powerful person in Kenya, they make sure to address him with infectious pride as The Commander in Chief of Kenya Defense Forces. That sounds to me like a man ready for war. A man who, even when in suits, can’t forget his role as Commander in Chief. For unsocial distance from him, with or without corona, is always a man in uniform. When he forgets the man in uniform for a moment, we sing it with him in the national anthem whenever he goes. That Tuwe Tayari Kuilinda. We in that melodic proclamation are always aware from kindergarten that there are dangers that threaten the Heritage of our Splendor and the Splendor of our Heritage. It implies that Kenya has enemies known or unknown, within and without.  It also means that the country is always anticipating a war. A defensive one mostly. For we only have defensive forces, not offensive ones like super-powerful others.  

For this very possibility, there are sworn Kenyans ready to defend us with their very lives. This is the sad reality of the world we live in. Where men protect trees and climate but kill each other. While others protect wildlife with one hand and assassinate good men with the other. Still, others manufacture biological weapons in labs in one investment and run hospitals with the other. While others build the most catastrophic bomb to annihilate in an instance but simultaneously run a CSR to help victims of war. Philanthropic merchants of war shall we say. Friends in need indeed but they sure create the need. 

In the beginning, the  militia was developed to raid and loot. Once the diamond and gold (black or yellow) got home, the militia was to defend it. They occasionally still do like in Ukraine, Iraq or Northern Kenya. But the world we live in is very different from when the idea of having an armed militia was first conceived to defend territories for  a state or the aristocrats. Today, you do not need mean looking muscled men to raid a country. In fact, in this age, you do not need a physical militia to loot a country clean. These are powerful times! These are dangerous men, especially those who come bearing white flags. These are dangerous times! 

In this age, you do not need to declare war to start one. You could be in war and not even know it. But war is war is war. You could be friends with your very enemy and be thoroughly clueless about it. In today’s world, the enemy could be feeding or donating to you in distress and never know they caused the distress in the first place. Like an arsonist crowned a philanthropist and hero for helping to put out an inferno with buckets. The cunning world we live in. The conniving people in front of you. Where the lab, bank, fuel and food are discreet weapons. Weapons in use in our Heritage of Splendor. Don’t wait for sirens of war. There is one in your neighborhood right now. There is one in your convenient shopping app on your very phone. But there is no such thing as a victimless war. And war is always about the loot. Trade war or economical doesn’t matter. War is war is war!

I am sure you want to know the enemy. Unlike other words, the definition of  the word ‘enemy’ is not engraved in diction’s stones. In other words, it is not a stationary diction in the dictionary. When it comes to nations, enmity is not an emotional loothe for the other. It may not even be racial or gene-based supremacy over the other. For a country, it’s other countries that are competing with you for the same scarce resources. Fiercely competing for customers, minerals, fresh water and farm lands. With this operational definition, all distinct Nation States are enemies of each other, no matter how brotherly or friendly they seem. Tanzanians are our brothers but deeply afraid of Kenya’s economic strength in the region. And rightly so! Lessons from our Undugu Brothers? If brothers can be enemies, friends can be bitter ones even when appearing friendly.  Just like disagreement in not enmity, agreement is not necessarily friendship. Period!

These are countries strategizing fiercely in boardrooms and embassies, on how to raid another discreetly. To loot without shots. To raid without boots. To camouflage without military camouflage.  To loot with a pen. To do it in a den. To heist with a keyboard. To empty  our coffers with e-commerce. To control commerce with a few monopolistic apps. To control food supply-chains. To be in charge of the seed supply with GMOs. To centralize our vegetables and supplies from a single warehouse or app. To dominate the banking system. To dictate energy supplies. To decimate manufacturing with imported FMCG. To do it in silence. To do it in public when everyone is watching but never know it. To terrorize a nation without terror. To do it while sitting next to the Commander in Chief asking him for cooperation in fighting Terrorism, Money Laundering and Climate Change. Invite him to fight others while for all intent and purposes waring with him. Does he know it or not? Will the Chief Hustler Command or Stooge? Will he Defend or Collaborate? Like túkúnia and some predecessors? Who knew the art but chose kickbacks and joined their investing hands to monopolize us.

The art of enjoying coffee with CinC in the State House meters from DoD after raiding his Treasury using CBK. Keeping him busy with shameful donations and promises of degrading aid. To aid him with funds for Kazi mitaani to keep the peace of a nation on edge on account of demoralized graduate by distracting him with a sad slasher. Slashing grass in drought for a purpose. To keep the peace while levers of the economy change hands. To impotent our greatest resource. To do it with a shameless slasher. Graduate Men who can make our soap, toothpaste and diapers. Engineers, Scientists and Builders! But dying with a donated slasher in abled trained hands. But the dead are still breathing. On account of a Commander in Chief cooperating willingly to render his most powerful resource impotent! The death of a powerful nation. To be buried in mass graves in a few years. Why do the blind have eyes? Does the Chief Hustler see? Will he right this wrong? Or will he be the maker of coffins and digger of graves. To bury a powerful nation! A few years from now!

The art of controlling his country’s energy sector without the Commander in Chief worrying about his country’s National Security. For no one is holding a gun here. And of course Petro is not explosive. The art of placing blinders. To make sure the eye that looks does not see. See that a deliberate delay in fuel shipping can grind his economy to a halt in a single day. But the Department of Defense is always on alert.

Unfortunately their war may never come. For their Commander in Chief may willingly and happily do with a  pen what is forced with a tanker elsewhere. Do you think he is different? Does his eye see? Does he see the danger? Or business is business is business? And investment is all we need. Will his Kuria tirade or trade? As in manufacture for our use and export.  Will he grab the shameful slasher from the graduate Hustler? And resurrect the dead and the dying? Will he liberate the Hustlers? From imported Fast Moving Consumer Goods? From control of our food supply-chains in centralized warehouses and apps? The power to decide who plants and when. The power to kill farming alltogether. And turn around to import freely what was successfullly grown here before. Will he break the chains? The annihilation of SMEs from well funded importing-monopolistic-apps.

The art of controlling his money storages we call banks. To determine who gets loans. To determine who succeeds and fails. To pick winners and losers. To financially strangle any threats. Those threatened by our local manufacturers and supermarkets who are resistant to imported Fast Moving Consumer Goods. The exclusive power to ask for collateral in exchange of money created from thin air like banks do. The power to claim that collateral when the borrower goes south. The power to make him go south! The power to behold a river of information. A river that tells a country’s financial and trade secrets. But Kenya is safe! For new cadets have just graduated and the army is well manned and armed. Armed with borrowed weapons. And the commander in Chief is well briefed. Nothing to worry here. For Kenya is at peace.

Not just the art of controlling money storages but the river that circulates it. One river in which most of our money flows. Flowing on our mobile phones from Mombasa to Kisumu in an instance. The unfettered power to switch it off. Deliberately, maliciously or suspiciously. The power to grind the entire economy to a halt. Like it happened when a hacker had his way. And instantly there was traffic everywhere in Kenya. But  the motorist made it to the petrol station with the last drops. And his balance told him he could fill the tank.  But he could not buy petrol. And so were millions of other motorists, shoppers and commuters. The instant paralysis of a nation. On account of a SINGLE river of PESA stoppage. No PESA was flowing in the entire country. Spontaneously, maliciously or deliberately is not the concern. The fact that it stopped a nation is deeply troubling. Everyone was here at the mercy of one company, one product. Immobilized by a SINGLE PESA Switch. But the Defense Forces are ready to fire. And they surely matched today. And made sure all systems were ready. To fire the good old cannon. And the Commander in Chief is well briefed every morning. That our enemies are in check and no one is approaching the coast. And the air too is submissive! Save for an occasional photographer’s drone who is arrested swiftly.

Does Kenya Kwanza means that the eye that looks will see? Will the Commander in Chief realize that his country is at war? And resolve to take Command of where it really matters. Demanding the Command of what the Chief has no command over. To truly be President and Preside over the entire Harambe Avenue. Not just Harambe House!

But the Cabinet SECRETaries told us all their secrets. The artists of war were listening and they already sized the now confirmed keepers of oathed secrets. And they will surely use the information disclosed. Financial, experiential or otherwise. But nothing to worry about here. For Kenya is a country at peace. Sorry to disappoint you! And for utterly misspeaking. There is no war going on here! Just the art of war!

Written by Robert Mwangi, MBA author of the books President’s Advisor, Mney Circles, Five Fingers and Dollar Altar. He also composed and sung ZIBA UFA