Leaders can be re-elected for the work done rather than drama

Ballot boxes. [Daniel Chege, Standard]

For far too long, Kenyan politics has been weighed down by empty rhetoric, endless name-calling, and lofty promises that rarely translate into tangible change.

Election seasons are often marked by beautifully crafted manifestos, powerful slogans and emotional appeals meant to excite the electorate.

Yet once the ballots are counted and leaders sworn into office, many of these promises are quietly shelved, neatly packed away in drawers, while the people wait in vain for delivery.

This pattern has cost us dearly. It has bred cynicism among citizens, weakened trust in leadership, and slowed the pace of development.

Kenyans deserve better. Leadership should not be about who speaks the loudest, insults the most, or masters political theatrics. It should be about who delivers. Perfection in leadership does not exist. What should exist, however, is commitment. Commitment to serve, to deliver, and honour the mandate given by the people.

When citizens entrust a leader with a five-year term, they are not doing so for entertainment or endless political drama. They are offering an opportunity to make a real difference in their lives.

The time has come for us, as a nation, to rethink how we judge leadership. Development, not rhetoric, should be the true measure of political success. History offers us a powerful lesson. The late former President Mwai Kibaki exemplified this kind of leadership. He was not known for fiery speeches or political grandstanding. He was a man of few words, minimal politics, and firm focus.

Yet more than a decade after he left office, Kenyans still speak about his development record. His legacy endures not because of what he said, but because of what he did. That is the kind of leadership Kenya needs today. Leaders who genuinely mean well for their people must be ready to emulate this model. Less noise and more work.

Development has a way of speaking for itself. A new road, a functioning hospital, a reliable water supply, empowered youth, or improved access to education does not need a press conference to be felt. The people experience it in their daily lives.

Some of us have consciously chosen this path by remaining focused on our mandate to deliver while keeping politics in the background.

I have consistently stated that I am not prepared to engage in political contests, premature campaigns, or name-calling at the expense of development. I have a manifesto to implement.

Predictably, attempts have been made to distract me. Some political actors have tried unsuccessfully to drag me into the mud of political wrestling. Others have deployed all manner of tricks and provocations, hoping to derail focus and shift attention from service delivery to political drama. I have declined these invitations not out of fear, but out of conviction.

Political distractions do not build classrooms. Insults do not employ young people. Endless rallies do not put food on the table for our people. In just three years, in Kiambu we have built 512 new ECDE centres, started a comprehensive feeding programme that provides free uji, milk and eggs, constructed six new level four and 26 level three hospitals, installed 12, 000 solar streetlights, and given farm inputs (maize seeds, beans, fertiliser, piglets and chicks) to over 700, 000 farmers.

We have increased own revenue from Sh2.9 billion to Sh5.45 billion after installing a new Enterprise Planning Resource System that automates all county services. Today’s voter is more informed, more discerning, and more demanding. Citizens are increasingly able to separate the wheat from the chaff. They can tell the difference between noise and substance, between promises and performance.

This awakening should serve as a wake-up call to leaders who still believe that political gymnastics alone can sustain a career. It is entirely possible, and indeed desirable, for a leader to be elected and re-elected on the basis of work done rather than drama staged.

There will be a time for campaigns. For me, that time is 2027, when the country goes to the polls. Until then, my responsibility is clear. To deliver!

When that time comes, I will return to the people with a report card. I will ask them to assess my performance, what I achieved, what I did not, and how faithfully I implemented the manifesto we agreed upon. I will invite them to mark the examination. That is how democracy should work.