Why Ruto's election victory has not translated into satisfactory governance

President William Ruto during Jamhuri Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, on December 12. 2024. [File, Standard]

Theodore M Hesburgh once said, “The very essence of leadership is that you have to have vision. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet.” Hesburgh's assertion brings me to the conclusion that the reason the Kenya Kwanza government has been wavering is that while they had a strategy to win the 2022 elections, they seemingly lacked a concrete vision (plan). This is why they have been blowing unknown ‘trumpets’, tossing the country here and there, and exploring new ways of surviving the tides they should have foreseen and planned for before winning the 2022 election.

Winning an election with a great strategy doesn't necessarily translate into satisfactory governance. A good political strategy without a plan leads to deficient governance. However, when paired with a well-intentioned ideology and a solid plan, it heralds transformative leadership. That is why we must not let an election ‘winning’ strategy cloud our judgment again.

The unwinking disillusionment that hit Kenya in the Jubilee and now Kenya Kwanza government is the question of how a government can have the best campaign strategy and then, after victory, stall. The Jubilee captains in 2013—popularly known as UhuRuto—ran one of the most successful political campaigns. With the most convincing, engaging, and persuasive political strategy, slogans, and narratives, they succeeded in convincing Kenyans that they were the best. When they went to State House, they realised they could not govern a country through narratives, slogans, and persuasive talk—they needed concrete strategies, some of which they had already criticised, like collaboration with the opposition.

The same happened in 2022—Kenyans were mad at political analysts who predicted that Ruto was winning. The truth is that political analysts rely on factual predictions of who is likely to win elections, not necessarily who is the most suitable candidate.

In a democracy, people are given a chance to elect a leader who is most competent, most qualified, with the best solutions to existing problems, and with the most promising ideologies. The twist of politics, and why 20th and 21st-century politics often disappoints, is that politicians have dropped the ideals of leadership and concentrated on a few principles meant to win elections. One is political PR—the strategy that propels one to the top seat. To launch the best political PR, one needs money to blind the public and give them a feeling of wealth.

The second principle is closely related—it is called strategy. It is the reason modern politics keeps wondering why we elect leaders who have neither vision nor ideology. Strategy involves a well-premeditated plan or approach aimed at achieving specific goals within the realm of politics. These goals involve a range of activities and tactics aimed at winning elections, influencing legislation, shaping public opinion, or advancing a particular agenda.

The worst part of having the best strategy and no vision or ideology comes when the rubber hits the road. When one wins an election and wonders, what the hell do I do with the power and expectations of the people?

It means one has to run a country through a strategy—a strategy involving a range of activities and tactics aimed at winning people’s approval, legitimacy, and influencing legislation to shape public opinion regarding the performance of a regime. It comes back to the politics of the absurd, in which a country is run through chaotic and irrational approaches.

Thought leaders have agreed with the phrase “Strategy without vision is dead.” The fact that Kenya Kwanza dropped the promises they made to mwananchi and started adopting new approaches is a testament that they had a strategy but no vision.

It means they had the strategy on how to win an election, but they did not quite envision what they would do with the country after winning elections. That is why they are experimenting with erratic taxation policies, collaboration with erstwhile opposition, and erratic legislation to secure their short-term plans to salvage their name as a government.

It is paramount to know that strategy, no matter how well-planned or detailed, will ultimately fail if it lacks a clear vision. A vision provides direction, purpose, and a long-term goal that guides decision-making and actions. Without this guiding vision, a strategy may become aimless, lacking coherence and the ability to inspire and motivate those involved in its execution.

Dr Ndonye is a senior lecturer at Kabarak University’s Department of Mass Communication