Former late President Mwai Kibaki was trending on Thursday morning as Kenyans flooded X with comparisons between him and Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro.
The surge in online reactions
followed Nyoro’s appearance on Citizen TV’s JKL Live on Wednesday night,
where he discussed the economy, education and leadership alongside Embakasi
East MP Babu Owino.
Nyoro, who spoke extensively about
leadership readiness and economic discipline, said past leaders such as Kibaki
had been well-prepared before assuming office.
“The problem we have as leaders is
that we are not ready to lead, not prepared even as we look for elective
positions. We later take time in capacity building,” he said, noting that
Kibaki came into power with a clear plan and economic blueprint.
The discussion came hours after
Nyoro unveiled a major fee-relief programme for day secondary school students
in Kiharu.
Under the initiative, parents will
only pay Sh500 per term this year.
"There will be no other charges
in our day schools. We implement the programme because we know the country is
capable of providing free education,” he said.
"We must stop making education
a campaign tool," he said while addressing parents at Maragi Primary
School on Tuesday.
The rollout, part of the Masomo Bora
education programme, will cover more than 12,000 students in Grade 10, Form
Three and Form Four.
The scheme includes a full-week
feeding programme, with schools serving chapati on the last Friday of every
month.
The National Government
Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) has allocated Sh10 million for
revision materials and learning support.
Each school will also receive
Sh50,000 for extracurricular activities to ensure students participate in clubs
and sports.
Another Sh50 million has been
earmarked for infrastructure upgrades, mainly laboratories and libraries.
Teachers and school heads will
benefit from an incentive scheme that includes educational trips.
Top subject teachers will travel to
Mombasa, while principals from the best-performing and most improved schools in
every ward will get a trip to Dubai.
Why
Kibaki is trending
Nyoro’s remarks on leadership,
combined with ongoing public nostalgia for Kibaki-era economic stability, ignited
a wave of comments on X.
Users drew parallels between the two
leaders, with some praising Nyoro’s development agenda.
One user, George Njoro, wrote: “Nyoro has the quality of Kibaki; humble and
straightforward.”
Another, Josphat Mugo, commented: “There is a Kibaki in Ndindi Nyoro.”
Babu Owino also drew comparisons of
his own, with one user saying: “Babu
has that of (late former Prime Minister) Raila, to hold the government
accountable and readiness to defend the people.”
A longer analysis from another
Kenyan user stated:
“We cannot continue seeking other
countries' frameworks yet Kibaki laid the Vision 2030 blueprint for Kenya. Both
Babu and Ndindi emphasised education as a core factor in economic development.”
Other reactions captured the
national mood around the debate. One David Ireri said, “Kibaki believed
Kenya could stand on its own feet.”, with JMM adding, “Day school fees
should be free because Kibaki did it.”
Bwana Mulwa Himself noted that “Ndindi is wearing Kibaki’s shoes… Babu is fitting into
Baba’s.”, while Don Fasa was of the opinion that “Gen Z are
beneficiaries of Kibaki’s free education. They might be the secret weapon to
change this country.”
Commenting on the duo, DJ Jayden 254
said they are “the kind of sober leaders we want…
Our today’s Kibakis.”
The online debate has positioned Nyoro at the centre of renewed public conversation about leadership style, economic management and education reforms - themes strongly associated with the Kibaki era.
