Governance and leadership

As a people, we have made tremendous gains in our political history since independence over 40 years ago. The founders of our nation gallantly fought for the independence of this great land from over six decades of colonial rule that was oppressive, exploitative and discriminatory.  

Unfortunately, our country assumed the character of post-colonial authoritarian rule. This gave rise to deeply rooted structures that continue to be used to intimidate the citizens. Kenyans continue to fight for their political freedom, and the landmark change of government in December 2002 was expected to mark the beginning of a new era, a second liberation and a turning point in the history of our Republic. This has not come to pass.  

This is how far we have come. We must now refocus on the enormous work that awaits us in the area of governance and leadership.  

There are many paths to development and prosperity. The distinguishing feature of each is how government and citizens relate to each other with regard to the ownership and operation of the means of production – land, manufacturing, commerce - with implications for the distribution of the resultant wealth. Today, the primary concern is about how much leeway to give to the free market and how much for governmental intervention. This, question was the hallmark of the 1965 published Government of Kenya Sessional Paper (Sessional Paper 10) entitled African Socialism and its Application to Planning in Kenya. Four decades down the road we acknowledge the failure to respect the framework and the tendency towards a directionless programme.  Drastic changes have since occurred in the global politics and economy that now require that we completely recast our path to development and prosperity hence the need for Mwelekeo Mpya.  

We must encourage both internal and external investors for what we need most is a rapid expansion of the economy, complete with multiplier effects of employment and high incomes, increased rate of savings and the creation of opportunities for more investment. However, that will not control the most incessant problem associated with rapid development based on private investments – namely socioeconomic inequality.  

This is the point where the government must demonstrate its relevance and its legitimacy. The Government must determine a balance between private sector growth and expansion and social welfare of the lowly in order to bridge inequality that would otherwise grow. Resources are of course a question and while there are no easy answers I must state that a Government that is corrupt, inept, and repressive cannot preside over a complex and mammoth model for development such that proposed here. Corruption and mismanagement have no place in supporting the realisation of some of these goals. The society that we aspire to have can only be conceptualized and attained by a government driven by integrity and honesty. Integrity is the cardinal means of realizing a just society. 


The future of our nation must be about three things: Integrity, Opportunity and a Just Society.