Why young people want a tough leader to take over after Ruto

What is the allure of the benevolent dictator? As the country prematurely gears up for the 2027 elections, several names have been fronted as ideal candidates to run against the incumbent President William Ruto. Some popular names so far have been Fred Matiang'i, retired Chief Justice David Maraga, Senator Okiya Omtatah and, more recently thanks to his track record in Murang'a, Governor Irungu Kang'ata. Indeed, the buzz behind some of these names has resulted in the Jubilee Party picking Dr Matiang'i as their presidential candidate.

Omtatah, on his part, has put together a Presidential Intelligence Committee that has been travelling across the country to understand what the people want and whether he would be an acceptable presidential candidate for them. Whilst several reasons have been given for the fronting of these names, there seems to be a running thread amongst these men: All are viewed as being capable of delivering on their promises and cracking the whip on those who stand in their way, not least because of their conservative ideology.