Kenya’s current state of affairs is in despair, Kenyans need hope, experts say

President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to give his State of the Nation address on Tuesday, November 30, 2021, before his 10-year term in office expires when Kenyans take to the polls next year.

As perhaps his final address, Kenyans are living in the realm of speculation with many expecting the President to touch on the accomplishments that his administration has been able to achieve and deliver to Kenyans in his two terms in office.

As much as it is important for the President to highlight undertakings of his administration in his two terms in office, experts argue that it is also imperative for President Kenyatta to lay the groundwork for the future and reassure Kenyans of the country’s direction moving forward, as the current state of the nation is less appealing now more than ever.  

Speaking as part of a panel on Citizen TV’s Monday Report show, political commentator Herman Manyora argues that the President’s address must deliver hope to Kenyans since most of them have lost hope in the regime because of its failure in keeping and fulfilling its promises to Kenyans.

“If you ask me the state of the nation is shaky because if there is one thing this country needs badly; it is hope and the president can do anything he wants to do. He can say anything and everything he wants to say but unless they deliver hope to Kenyans this country can crash," Manyora said. 

“When a country is in this state of hopelessness when everything is in despair many things can happen. When you are going into an election and the country has this level of despair a demagog can easily ride on the desperation of Kenya and run away with the country for Kenyans to only regret in future.”

Manyora argues that by being true to his office and sharing with Kenyans the challenges that he has faced in fulfilling his agenda, Kenyatta will be able to give them a clear indication of where the country lies before his successor assumes office.

“Let’s not talk about a million jobs, four million when none is available. Don’t come up with statistics and figures about the performance of the economy. There is so much that is going on. Kenyans have been made to believe that everything is lost which is not true so the President must embark on hope building and nothing else,” said Manyora.

“Not many people seem to understand that the challenges we face are global in nature but the government can’t communicate something like that. The government must engage people a little seriously than they are doing and in the process, they will be able to give people what they are asking for.”

On her part, Public Service CAS Beatrice Elachi insists that one of the most important aspects President Kenyatta must address is the current state of neighbouring Somalia. Its proximity and current threat of militia Al-Shabaab, Elachi argues, can make or break the future of Kenya.

“I think we need to ask ourselves how do we ensure we can really go back to where we were with Somalia, knowing very well they are in the northern frontier, knowing very well we have our brothers and sisters on that side so that we don’t have interference from that side as we go to the election,” she said.

Elachi similarly underscored that the President should also reassure Kenyans of the efforts his government is making to ensure that the polls are free and fair next year so that Kenyans can elect leaders they deem fit into office.

“He will ensure we have a peaceful election... an election where both men and women will be able to compete without intimidation without violence and lastly we have to speak about young people even before the election. How do we ensure that we can at least see ourselves giving them one of the things that we promised,” Elachi said