13/09/2025
CHASING TAMS, LOSING TIME: THE COST OF POLITICAL HYPE IN SAMBURU COUNTY.
By: Lotome Noah
In the heart of Kenya's northern frontier, Samburu County has become a hotbed of political speculation, where discussions of development have taken a back seat to a growing obsession, the “TAM” narrative. From hotel lobbies to church pulpits, village gatherings to boda-boda stages, conversations no longer center on roads, schools, health, or economic empowerment. Instead, they revolve around whether a leader is headed for “NOTAM,” “NIUTAM,” “WANTAM,” “TUTAM”,’’THADTAM’’ etc. This emerging political culture, while seemingly democratic, poses significant risks to governance, accountability, and progress especially in a marginalized society.
What began as casual political chatter has rapidly evolved into a full-fledged societal preoccupation. In Samburu County, the language of TAMS now dictates political alignment, social circles, and even spiritual messages. The idea that a leader’s relevance lies only in their TAM status has not only pressured incumbents but has also emboldened aspirants, many of whom are driven more by ambition and hope than agenda. The result? A political environment that breeds speculation over service, and campaigning over commitment.
This fixation with TAMS has created a vacuum where public discourse should be driving policy. Leaders, fearing political extinction, have resorted to populist performances rather than long-term planning. Instead of being challenged on the state of health facilities, youth unemployment, or livestock markets, elected officials now face pressure on whether they are “safe for another tam.” This lack of developmental scrutiny undermines the democratic contract between leaders and residents, where leadership should be earned through delivery, not hype.
Even more worrying is the trickle-down effect on community priorities. Professionals, elites, youth groups, women's associations, elders’ councils, and even clergy have been drawn into the TAM narrative, sometimes subtly, other times explicitly. Rather than organizing around pressing issues like education, insecurity, food security, or climate resilience, many are positioning themselves within perceived political camps, hoping to secure influence or patronage come the next cycle. The political hype is, quite literally, costing Samburu County time and opportunity.
Samburu is one of Kenya’s marginalized counties, already grappling with infrastructure gaps, insecurity issues, youths’ unemployment, high poverty levels, and limited access to services. In such a context, time is not a luxury but a critical resource. Every year lost to political speculation is a year without progress in healthcare, water access, education, and livelihoods. The obsession with “who’s next” has muted the more important question of “what’s next” for Samburu County’s future.
If Samburu County is to reclaim its development agenda, there must be a deliberate shift from TAM politics to transformative leadership. Residents must begin to demand performance over popularity, and leaders must recognize that true legacy is built not in how many TAMs one serves, but in how much service one gives per TAM. Without this shift, Samburu County risks becoming a case study in how political hype, though loud and lively, can derail the silent, steady work of development.
