I made that observation not expecting any further discussion of the topic but, to my surprise, the gentleman responded with several, angry rhetorical questions: how so? Why? Why would Uhuru be like all these other failed African presidents? He’s so young and his father was president! Didn’t he at least learn something from his father to help him become a better President?
The questions were as rhetorical as they were a peek into the man’s soul.
Though raised in privilege no different than Uhuru was, and though both were sons of former presidents, it was evident to me the man had a genuine care of becoming a leader of his country not for the sake of power, but to help uplift his fellow citizens.
He spent the next hour articulating not only what was wrong with African leadership, including that of his own father, but he also shared his own vision as to what he would do were he to be elected president.
But the man acknowledged he had no chance of being elected because voters dismiss or reject candidates like him as “dynasties,” a term that would years later become popular in our own elections.
He made it a point, and it was evident he was his own man so the fact that his father was president should not be used against him. I agreed with him, but the voters did not. He did not even come second or third in the ensuing elections.
Fast forward to a few days ago, and by pure coincidence, I met with a presidential candidate of the same country. He is the opposite of the gentleman and a true hustler in the sense he grew up in poverty but somehow managed to become a medical doctor.
He had no connection or interest in politics until a year ago when several heads of various professional associations in his country voted to have him become their presidential candidate.
The man says he has done just fine financially but given the poverty in his country, there is not enough money he can make to satisfy all the needs of his relatives and total strangers who are constantly coming to him for help.
It is the reason he decided to relent and agree to be a presidential candidate, namely, to usher in a new government if elected centred on helping its masses in living better lives than lining up the pockets of the few and privileged and their cronies, which is a staple across Africa, and across the world indeed.
It is a calling the man says Allah expects all leaders to adhere to. I told him that is true of all those who believe or claim to be Christians as that’s God’s instruction as well.
President William Ruto has had a chance to do just that, but even his strongest supporters and admirers—unless they have their head buried deep in the sand would agree he has not executed the presidency even half as brilliantly as he executed his campaign.
Had he done so, we would not be having a poll more than a year into his presidency showing more than half of the country believes the country is going in the wrong direction. According to an Infotrak poll, only 30 per cent of Kenyans think the country is headed in the right direction.
When asked for the reasons why the country is headed in the wrong direction, 89 per cent cited the high cost of living while 34 per cent cited unemployment.
The President can change all this almost overnight by (a) reshuffling the Cabinet and removing deadwood and (b) waging a genuine war on corruption and going after thieves overstuffed with stolen money that must be returned to the coffers.
Yes he can.
