Kenya needs visionary leaders to move from rhetoric to practice

Members of the public follow court proceedings following the arrest of Kilifi South MP Ken Chonga, Speaker Teddy Mwambire, Victor Katana and Patrick Chiro in July 2023. [Kelvin Karani, Standard]

Kenyans are cautious optimists about the world unfolding before them in 2024. As they say, "Tough times never last, but tough, innovative people do and can even become great."

The nation's past history of 60 years of Independence demonstrates well how the country remained strong, one nation, one people and united rainbows.

Kenyans have ever maintained economically a growing democracy with constitutional national values and principles to comply with all the times.

Today, out of Africa's 54 countries, Kenya is proudly number 7 in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $113 billion.

Yet, despite the past good economic and democratic growth, there are indications that the world before us of 2024 - 2025 will be tougher for a majority of Kenyans.

The main sources of the expected hardships in 2024 for Kenyans according to the headlines of the daily newspapers are one, the rising cost of living - inflation, two, the devastating impacts of the El Nino rains and three, the tyranny of corruption, and maladministration of many public sector agencies. The sources of the country's cost of living crisis need to be unpacked and addressed urgently.

Some causes have global disorders origins while others have domestic sources and can be addressed effectively. We are not short of good ideas and reliable professionals.

The Treasury Cabinet Secretary has even alerted us that Kenya has no money. Average inflation is rising beyond 9.6 per cent and what is now called the "Kenya debt hole" is going deeper Sh10.58 trillion as of September 2023.

The impact of El Nino rains is causing a lot of pain to people and reveals the shortcomings on the part of the nation's technocrats. For a country to move from mere surviving to thriving and becoming a first world is not achieved by accident.

It is achieved by design, hard work built on skills, cultures, discipline, national values and principles reflecting on the people's Gross National Happiness (GNH).

Tough times demand robust economics to overcome the adversity of geography. While Kenya's GDP has been growing at 7.5 per cent annually, the National Gross Happiness is below average at 4.48 points out of 10 points, most are not happy.

What are the drivers of the unhappiness of Kenyans with their social and economic well-being at the moment?

Good quality governance at all levels, all-inclusive, national economic growth, effective civic education and deep practice of national values and principles will help build social solidarity, high morals, patriotism, civic spirit and happier citizens.

The most important formula for success for public officers is to be honest and know how to get along well with people.

They should be good students of the society. Honesty isn't the best policy. It's the only policy for superior success anywhere.

Thus nationalism is the ability to feel oneness with all the people of the country. Whereas Kenyans have very good national values and principles in our 2010 Constitution, in practice the realities are different.

National values and principles are supposed to be the lighthouse for one and all. No one is to be left behind.

There is therefore urgent need to move from our present state of rhetorics to a deeper practice of national values and principles.

As a nation, no one wins unless everyone wins. Let us bring on the country's brain power, and people of transformative ideas and make Kenyans happier and prouder.

We can become bigger than the problems before us.

Where are the nation's visionary leaders who have their feet on the ground? Kenyans deserve an all-season strategy to thrive, win success and become happier to lead themselves to a brighter future of 2024 and beyond.

-The writer is a strategic consultant