Women’s magazine ‘True Love’ appears to have run out of cover ideas

It would seem that the popular female-oriented magazine True Love has completely run out of women to feature on it cover. Or at least that is what they would have you think.

In a long line of insulting propaganda after the NYS scandal surrounding Anne Waiguru, who is now a governor, regardless of her history, the magazine decided to jump into the fray by putting her on its cover.

Not because there is no one else to feature, or because what she has done is of repute. The editors simply chose to ignore her recent past, and hold her up as a role model for women in Kenya, as depicted by the caption below her smiling picture – that of the survivor! And how she did it!

One wonders how this cover passed approval for a publication that is supposedly all about female empowerment. Maybe the editor – or owner – doesn't read the news. Maybe they decided that allegations of a crime aren't enough to bar someone from the cover, because if nothing is proven, then nothing has happened, right?

WORSHIPPER OF MONEY

Or maybe, like many Kenyans, this magazine has become such a worshipper of money that it doesn't matter how you get the money – as long as you get it.

And they wouldn't be the first ones. About a month ago, Couture Africa's Olive Gachara was under fire for failing to pay a large number of her staff – including models, editors, writers, stylists, the whole shebang – while somehow producing a magazine every month and driving a top-of-the range car all the while. Not that your personal life should suffer because your business is, but surely, if you haven't paid people in months, that's the right thing to do?

Kenya continues to perpetuate this myth that the money's origin doesn't matter, as long as you have it. We do this with the Olive Gacharas, who are invited to participate as entrepreneurs for a Shark Tank-like TV show, and give away money as if they have it themselves.

We do this with the Anne Waigurus, who are made governors and emblazoned onto the public eye as role models that we should aspire to. Every function that has a politician serves as a campaign platform for someone to give a speech on how they're going to change Kenya – whether they mean by blood, or by blood money.

FALLACY OF SUCCESS

So we are now supposed to accept the message, in this month, ironically, of International Women's Day, that women like Waiguru are the women we should want to be. That they should be our inspiration, in terms of family life, serving our country and serving our countrymen. Granted, how you got to the top is your business – isn't choice, after all, the point of feminism – but to fête someone with a multimillion discrepancy in their rise to fame seems a bit much.

Thankfully, I'm not the only Kenyan who feels like this. There are now multiple more factual covers going around, replacing the cover story title and changing the inserts as they see fit. Sure, we may not be able to get her out of office, have our votes talk for us or speak to editors face to face to say exactly what we think about this farce, but at least the reactions speak loud and clear – you might be okay with this fallacy of success, but we most definitely are not.

Twitter: @AbigailArunga