By NERIMA WAKO-OJIWA

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It is easy to criticise others and judge, but it is wise not to do so if you have similar weaknesses yourself.

As fate would have it, we have begun to see cracks in the ruling Jubilee party’s fortress walls just as, not too long ago, we watched the embarrassing falling out in the opposition National Super Alliance (Nasa).

Are the cracks in Jubilee real? Is it falling apart? What is the bickering about?

One thing is clear in the conversation; it is no longer about the people. How long can one talk about oneself surely? When will the core of the conversation ever be about achievements and development

The party that appeared to have got their act together, riding on the fact that they were youngish, with cool regalia and witty slogans, is now falling apart.

It is like the couple on social media that posts happy images of themselves, holding hands, eating dinner in fancy restaurants, travelling the world, with cute memes and everything, who out of the blue start calling each other names in public and looking ugly and pathetic.

I have to admit, it keeps the wananchi entertained. As one co-worker said, “The public is getting to know a lot of info that was previously unavailable and they are loving it!”

Political realignments are normal; as a country, we are obsessed with them. We watch individuals hop from one party to the next, and it can be a game changer.

In the last election, we even tried to stop political party hopping and it caused a sharp rise in independent candidates locked out as a result.

Realignments matter because they are vehicles to power and there will be inevitably be casualties and benefactors. However, these have to be the earliest realignment manoeuvres we have witnessed so far.

Game 2022 is already in full gear and there is one politicians out there who makes grown men nervous: Raila Odinga.

Saying that the Raila-Uhuru “handshake” took people by surprise is an understatement. The after-effect however created a sense of peace and stability.

But many in Jubilee remain suspicious of Raila. There has been talk of a kitchen cabinet who are core planners of the way things go in this country. To keep certain individuals out of the race, the kitchen cabinet has made the lifestyle audit their weapon of choice.

According to the 48 Laws of Power, Deputy President William Ruto is following Law 26 – “Keep your hands clean.” Let others do the whining, complaining and fighting for you while you appear to remain calm and unconcerned.

As much as we discuss politics all the time in my workplace, some colleagues do not actually get what the fuss is about and they really don’t care: “Has money been stolen?” was one of the questions directed my way when I asked about their thoughts on the matter.

“What does this have to do with me exactly? Politicians argue and get along tomorrow. How can you keep track?” said another, while a third commented, “Why are they carrying on like it [the lifestyle audit proposed by President Uhuru Kenyatta] is such a personal attack? Don’t you wish they would fight about corruption with such vigour and concern?”

Whether Jubilee is falling apart, or the media is simply fabricating information, the law of gravity is about to assert itself.

Nerima Wako-Ojiwa is executive director of Siasa Place, a Kenyan political hub dedicated to ‘collaboratively creating an environment that mainstreams youth and women into politics.’ Twitter: @NerimaW