MARKETING AFRICA MAL 18/17 mal 18:17 online | Page 4

MAL /18/17 FIRST WORD Marketing Africa limited P. O. Box 36481- 00200 Nairobi, Kenya Cell: +254 - 717 - 529 052 Email: [email protected] TANZANIA Marketing Africa limited Cell: +254 - 717 - 529 052 Email: [email protected] UGANDA Marketing Africa limited Cell: +254 - 717 - 529 052 Email: [email protected] Marketing Africa Team William Kalombo Joyce Mwatia Mutua Mutua Stephen Waweru Herman Githinji Kepha Nyanumba Eugene Wanekeya Richard Wanjohi Timothy Oriedo Nancy Murule Barrack Muluka Catherine Kiiru Boniface Ngahu Evans Majeni Ben Asoro Wasilwa Miriongi Dr. Clifford Ferguson Dr. Kellen Kiambati Wale Akinyemi Maureen Owiti Jennifer Mwangangi Tabani Moyo Pepe Minambo Carolyne Gathuru Diana Obath Caroline Nyamwaya Mwazi Marion Wakahe Thrity Engineer-Mbuthia Editorial Contributors Design & Layout Ashdown Limited 11th Flr, Pension Towers, Loita Street. P. O. Box 73414 - 00200 | Nairobi, Kenya. Tel: [phone] | Cell: +254 - 722 - 304 677 Email: [email protected] | Web: www.ashdown.co.ke Feedback/ Comments Email: [email protected] web: www.marketingafrica.com @MarketingAfrica Marketing Africa Marketing Africa Magazine is published by Marketing Africa Limited. Views expressed in the articles and contributions are not neccessarily those of the publisher. The Publisher reserves all rights. Material may only be reproduced with prior arrangement and due acknowledgement to 02 MAL Marketing 18/17 ISSUE Africa Magazine ON PERILOUS TRENDS I t was with a sigh of global relief when the French finally got to their elections and they decided to vote in a moderate after the world had had a scare that the morbid nationalistic wave that was sweeping the globe would have another extremist president in Marie Le Pen. The firebrand lady had shot to popularity and unexpectedly was in the run-off based on a variant theme of making France great again, shamelessly copied from the American debacle that saw the rise and triumph of Trumpism over common sense. In what was truly a victory of substance over demagoguery, the French emphatically voted for an odd couple as their first family and gave the world respite from the froth and bark of deranged nationalists who wished to recreate the eighteenth century. It kicked off with the innocuous Brexit fueled by a conservative stand that the British were fed up of receiving orders from Brussels and wanted to secure their borders by keeping off immigrants. Suddenly the immigrants were the bane of Europe and they needed to go back home. Negative politics never lack champions and across the pond in America they had a veritable showman with all the braggadocio of Captain America telling his voters that America had reached the nadir of its development and someone needed to make America great again. Interestingly his prescription did not sound any different from the hate mongering that was going on in Europe and his wrath was first aimed at all Latinos with special venom targeting Mexico, who were not only going to have their country cut-off by a wall but the Mexicans would pay for it. Theories abound that Trump was in no way expecting to win the presidency and the half brained campaign rhetoric was more a personal publicity stunt aimed at improving his obsession with TV ratings and his many mega deals. Unfortunately the American voter called his bluff and he found himself a president, clueless and ill prepared to lead a complex country and yet having to keep his promises. What we have is an angry president discovering that