"Rainfall comes from heaven, not forests," William Ruto informed a shocked nation in a bizarre pseudo-populist miscalculation at the height of the Kibaki government's eviction of squatters from the Mau Forest complex. He added, "Rain is a blessing from God, it has nothing to do with trees."From someone on the vanguard of the most fashionable topic on the planet today, Africa's self-appointed Climate Change Champion and Spokesman, this statement comes off as a curious lapse in judgement. Because the Internet does not forget.
And, as if on cue, Ruto's various factotums quickly joined in the abysmal chorus. Most notable among them was Paul Sang who, in a drawn out attempt to finesse any subtle nuances his overlord might not have made plain, vehemently denied to the departing evictees that there was a connection between rain and trees. Rain, he carefully explained, comes from the sky. Trees, on the other hand, are on the ground. Two and two together makes five, his weird logic concluded, and so the failure of rain could not possibly be explained by a lack of trees. And on and on this campaign of ignorance and misinformation rallied. (These are elected leaders, mind you. The future of the North Rift has not been in more enlightened hands since Moi.)
In Ruto's defence, it is important that we fastidiously get out of the way the inconvenient fact that all this was before he earned his PhD; so we can mark this embarrassing episode down to a lack of knowledge of basic concepts covered exhaustively in the Grade 4 science syllabus.
But fast forward to post his ascension to the presidency and William Ruto, now armed with a PhD in Plant Ecology from the University of Nairobi (speaking from both sides of his mouth, as per kawa, Ruto ironically titled his thesis "Influence of Human Activities on Land Use Changes on Environmental Quality of Riparian Ecosystems: A Case Study of Saiwa Swamp Watershed, Western Kenya", and published it in two renowned journals – the International Journal of Research in Environmental Science and the Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution), astonished Kenyans further by publicly denying and denouncing the long-predicted El Nino rains and their potential destructive consequences (the death toll that time was 87, by the government's own admission, because, "Lakini mungu ni nani?"), and, in a characteristic show of recalcitrance, completely refused to take any precautionary action but instead elected to put science aside and pray down divine intervention as a mitigation strategy. The direct result is the death toll north of 261, with tens of thousands displaced and many more livelihoods upended, that we are witnessing as the unrelenting floods occasioned by the long rains run amok.
Before we proceed any further, let's, you and I, get some housekeeping out of the way: Where does rain come from? How is rainfall formed? What role do trees play in the process? According to the official government-sanctioned CBC Grade 4 science textbook, "Trees play an important role in creating rain through a process called transpiration. Trees absorb water from the ground through their roots and release it in the air as water vapour through their leaves. This water vapour rises, cools down, and forms clouds. When these clouds become heavy with moisture, they release it as rain. Rain is essential for watering plants, filling rivers and lakes, and supporting all life on Earth. Therefore, trees are very important in maintaining the water cycle and making sure that we have the rain needed for a healthy environment." And so on, and so forth.
How ironic is it, then, that rain, whether divinely ordained or by agency of transpiration, should be the undoing of William Ruto's administration? If one didn't know better, one might conclude that God is showing marked displeasure at the ignorance governing this land. Or he is wickedly conspiring against his own God-chosen government. Or both.
Moving swiftly onwards, as the term two back-to-school week drew to a close (many parents had cautioned against the wisdom of rushing schools' reopening in the face of a flood crisis) hot on the heels of Education CS Ezekiel Machogu's colossal cluster-fuck in the wee hours of Monday the 6th of May, when he thoughtlessly announced to sleeping parents and students the postponement of schools' resumption via X, formerly known as Twitter, of all media, a mere five hours to opening day, what should transpire on Thursday evening but a night-long torrent of rain? According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, on whose every word William Ruto has now taken to hanging since that El Nino fuck-up, the long rains will persist in 43 counties, including Nairobi, for the foreseeable future. The result of that overnight deluge was several schools across the country rendered uninhabitable come Friday morning due to...wait for it...flooding. (Insert facepalm emoji.)
In the meantime, the Kenya Human Rights Commission moved to court on that same Friday to sue Ruto's government for gross negligence, among various egregious human rights violations, ensuing from its tepid-to-nonexistent flood disaster response that has led to the unnecessary deaths of 261 Kenyans (and still counting).
So, what do we do about a PhD in Plant Ecology president who seems not to know the first thing about science? And what science exactly is taught in the University of Nairobi PhD programme that is not covered, at at least a basic level, in Grade 4? Did science undergo a transmogrification during the 2022 electioneering period?
The travesty of denying scientific principles for meagre and short-lived populist gains, especially when lives are at stake, cannot be overstated. It is imperative that the leadership of this country starts taking science seriously and starts adhering to the scientific method: hypothesise, test, observe, and draw conclusions based on empirical evidence. Any PhD student with a thesis published in two prestigious international scientific journals will tell you this for free.
Firstly, Ruto's government must acknowledge the role of environmental science in policymaking. This administration's cavalier dismissal of well-established environmental concepts not only undermines public trust but also endangers lives and places the nation at risk of recurring natural disasters. The fundamental relationship between deforestation and reduced rainfall, as well as the predictive power of meteorological data, must be integrated into national strategies for disaster preparedness and climate resilience forthwith. Let us hope that we have seen the last of the public humiliation heaped upon the director of the Met Department who had to painstakingly explain to the nation the president's refusal to heed weather data during the last El Nino cycle. (And if you happened to catch the news on Sunday night, then you are probably beginning to interpret the Ruto-Gachagua fallout in a new light. But that's a story for another less environmentally demanding day.)
Secondly, there must be an immediate and substantial investment in disaster preparedness infrastructure. Early warning systems, emergency response units, and community education programs are not luxuries but necessities. The Ruto government's recent failures underscore the critical need for a robust national framework that can respond swiftly and effectively to natural disasters. The country's environmental policy and disaster preparedness cannot be hinged on prayers and foreign "anointed" miracle-working preachers (funded by taxpayer money) alone!
Thirdly, reforestation and environmental conservation efforts must be prioritised. The Mau Forest complex, one of Kenya's largest water towers, has been devastated by illegal logging and settlements. It does not help that one of Ruto's first acts as president was to lift the moratorium on logging there. Restoring these vital ecosystems is crucial for maintaining the country's water cycle and preventing future environmental catastrophes. This involves not only physical reforestation but also the enforcement of environmental protection laws. It would be no small a shock if this detail were missing in the University of Nairobi's plant ecology PhD curriculum.
Lastly, there must be a cultural shift towards valuing and raising scientific knowledge and expertise above divine intervention in decision-making. This requires fostering a public discourse that respects and understands science, starting from the highest levels of government to the grassroots. Educational reforms that emphasise critical thinking and scientific literacy are essential to cultivate a society capable of making informed decisions about its environment and future. After all, we have been made to believe that non science university degrees are "useless and/or irrelevant," a waste of the nation's educational potential.
But enough about doublespeak. In the wake of Kenya's deadliest floods, the call to embrace the scientific method is now more urgent than ever. It is a call to reject ignorance and superstition in favour of knowledge and evidence-based action. President William Ruto's administration must lead this charge by integrating scientific principles into national policy and disaster management strategies. The cost of inaction is measured not only in economic losses but in the irreplaceable lives of Kenyan citizens.
As the rains continue to fall, let this be a watershed moment for Kenya—a turning point where the nation chooses to harness the power of science to build a resilient and sustainable future. The survival and prosperity of future generations depend on the decisions we make today. It is time for Kenya to rise to the challenge, armed with the tools of science and the will to make a change. And the day William Ruto stops panel-beating facts to suit his twisted political ends is the day Kenyans will be free of William Ruto's tyranny of unending lies; that is the day we might actually stand half a chance.
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