Kenyans pick ethics over optics as they demand more than State jobs

President William Ruto chairs a Cabinet meeting at State House, Nairobi, on December 17, 2024. [PCS]

Kenya has changed, and those in charge do not even know it!

A seismic shift is rippling through the country, not in its infrastructure or political appointments, but in the ethos of its people. While the government remains entangled in theatrics, the citizens are yearning for ethics and authenticity. This gap between the ruling class and the populace is widening, exposing a fundamental misalignment of priorities.

An example of this rift between the political class and the people on the ground is the reaction of the Murima people upon appointment of some of its people into lofty positions in government–there were no celebrations. Why? The Murimarians have deep needs and appointments are not their solution. The appointees just add to the list of MPs who are afraid of going home because the mood of the people on the ground does not allow them. The present-day Murima has evolved in sophistication and old-fashioned wooing tactics no longer impress its people.

For whom are these appointments anyway? The people do not see them as something they can own–they are foreign. The appointees have no meaningful connection to the people; they are the president’s men, not representatives of the populace. Accepting these appointments is taking sides with the oppressor. Joining the government, as things stand, amounts to severing ties with the public. It is deemed an act of selfishness and a betrayal.

This apathy is telling. For decades, government positions have been received as symbols of regard as a son or daughter of the people “flew the flag.” But the type of politics in present-day Kenya is such that politicians demean the people. That people feel used and dumped has radically shifted the position and perception of politicians in the minds of the people. This is why political appointments as a way of wooing the people are not translating into increased loyalty anymore.

If the president is truly serious about Murima, he must listen to the people and hear their needs. Political acts that are not informed by voices of the people are mere imaginations and are lost in translation. While the 'mtu wetu' formula still holds appeal in some areas of the country, Murima demands more. The appointments strategy feels tired and uninspired. Kenyans can see through these manipulative tactics. They not only refuse to play along but are actually offended–they feel demeaned. To engage Kenyans, honesty is the rising currency.

As the conscience of those in power is enslaved by the trappings of authority, the conscience of Kenyans is reviving and gaining independence. This shift is evident in the growing gap between the narrative of those in power and the reality of the people. Kenyans have turned a corner—they are no longer where politicians last left them. This is a reality that political leaders are refusing to accept. They seem to ask, “How can people move unless we move them?” The more you mishandled the people, the more they “gained weight” and now politicians can no longer carry them.

Though the revival of conscience is not happening evenly across the country, the standards Kenyans are setting for leaders are rising. A growing demand for morality, coupled with increased public scrutiny, will gradually make leadership positions unattractive, especially to the current crop of leaders who thrive in vice.

Did UDA not buy off its critics? It is perplexing to hear speeches from its top leaders still laden with attacks on critics. Who are these remaining critics causing them sleepless nights? One thing, however, is certain—these outstanding critics cannot be bought! Dissent has not been silenced as hoped. This obsession with critics reveals a deeper insecurity. The “outstanding critics” represent a moral compass in a political landscape increasingly dominated by transactional politics. Their refusal to be bought—to compromise their values for convenience—offers hope to a nation desperate for principled voices. The foundations of Kenya’s political narrative are shifting from blind loyalty to critical engagement.

Kenyans have overtaken their politicians in that they want to make moral gains, not just mortar ones. While the government is focused on appearances, the people are demanding substance. This growing concern for ethics over optics reflects a deeper yearning for humane governance. Mortar gains—buildings, infrastructure and tangible assets—are insufficient if they come at the cost of ethical decay. Citizens are redefining progress to include virtue as an essential cornerstone. Being appointed to government is no longer a badge of honor. As things are at present, honour is in turning the appointment down–declining to join a gang considered Kenyavorous—a term that captures the sentiment of a government perceived as devouring the people it claims to serve.

Singapore is cited a lot by top political leaders as a country to emulate. But they are conveniently selective when it comes to naming the factors that made Singapore successful. It did not succeed because of a housing project. It succeeded fundamentally because of their values project. Values are the houses that host progress. Kenya is pushing houses by pushing out values! Keys to houses mean little. Keys to virtue mean everything! Those at the top must step out of their guzzlers and meet hustlers who find space for virtue in their ordinariness. But a mention of morality to Kenya’s leaders makes them thoroughly uncomfortable, cunningly changing the topic. While Kenyans question the prioritisation of housing projects, their deeper concern lies in trust. They feel their taxes are not in safe hands.

A nation’s strength lies in the ethical framework—it is the base on which all its infrastructure rests. Moral champions are today’s Mau Mau. Values are the door to Kenya’s breakthrough—and there is no short cut. Some Gen-Zs have become martyrs, targeted by cowardly enemies of uprightness. Champions of morality will for a time not be welcomed and celebrated—they will opposed. Yet for the sake of a better country they must stand. Many in power thrive in scattering morality. But ethics matter!

The language of sin is unspoken in Kenyan politics. Leaders have intentionally shattered the mirrors that reveal their true selves, replacing them with prophets who tell them what they want to hear. Meanwhile, Kenyans are driven by a deep longing for a values-based nation and refuse to turn back. They are pushing against actions that undermine the vision they have embraced. While political leaders insist, "We are making progress", the people respond, "Progress is not progress when it is laced with oppression and lacks transparency."

@edward_buri