SAM'S SENSE: 2027 - new wine, old skins

And they are ecstatic. 

They are busy canvassing for political support in villages, towns and communities, taking the listening approach to leadership. For them, weekends are no longer necessarily about family. They are about the vote.

From meeting to meeting, funeral to funeral and indeed wedding to wedding, before planning logistics on how to cover as many churches as possible on Sundays.

They are busy networking with pastors and preachers, community leaders and teachers, sniffing around for gatherings they can address. You know why?

Because it is cheaper to address a crowd you didn’t mobilize. They say that lately, for you to host a meeting, you must have a budget: A budget for the mobilizers and a budget for the mobilised.

It is what has become of our politics, that there is no free airtime regardless of who you are. Well! That’s not my concern tonight.

You see, over the many elections that Kenya has held in the multiparty era and more especially post-the-2010 constitution, public office has become more about money than service. We have slowly departed or ignored the values and principles of governance contained in Article 10 of the Constitution.

It is no wonder to hear an aspiring leader plotting how they will use their time in office – if elected, to first pay back what they will have spent on the campaign trail, and then see how to enrich themselves.

We have seen young politicians take political positions not necessarily because of conviction, but because of what comes with those positions: money, influence and access.

And then there is the young Kenyan in their twenties or thirties who believes that come August 2027, they will finally get the chance to represent their ward, constituency or county.

For now, their biggest headache is how to get elected. Understandable.

But then, dear aspirant I have a more fundamental question. What are you made of? 

What’s your philosophy of leadership? What exactly do you want to do for your people? What gap are you seeking to fill? Is it public service? Is it a genuine desire to solve problems? Or is it ego? Self-actualization? Wealth? Influence?

Because Kenya is not short of elected leaders. You see, we have 416 representatives in Parliament at the national level. We have more than 2,000 elected and nominated members of county assemblies.

We have national and county executives who sit in cabinets. Yet the problems confronting ordinary Kenyans remain stubborn: Unemployment, Poverty, Food insecurity, Education gaps, Healthcare challenges. Poor roads.

Limited access to markets.  And broken systems sectors that should make life easier for citizens.

And so the question is not whether Kenya has enough leaders. The question is what kind of leadership are we producing?

Because when elected leaders trade public influence for personal gain, or use public resources to serve themselves and their networks, the citizen ultimately pays the cost.

And so to you the aspiring leader: what are you made of? What exactly do you want to do for your people? What is your intended contribution to the gaps the Kenyan society faces today? 

And if you say you have answers, do you actually mean them? Are those your convictions, or merely the words you think voters want to hear?

And once elected, can we hold you to your word? Because leadership is not simply about getting elected. It is about what you do with the trust that comes with the office.

If you are getting into politics simply because you believe it is your turn to eat, then perhaps it is time to reconsider.

Suspend the campaign. Go back to your family. Go back to your community. And allow those who genuinely want to serve to make their contribution.

Because Kenya does not need more people seeking public office merely to consume public resources. Kenya needs leaders who understand that public office is a trust! Not a prize.

And before you ask Kenyans to vote for you, perhaps you should first ask yourself one question: If the money, power and prestige disappeared, would you still want to serve?

That’s my sense tonight.