Kenyans are now ready for mature politics

As we approach the elections, it is important for us to assess our political maturity. Apart from the electorate, political maturity can also be measured by leadership and the calibre of prospective leaders.

Kenyans’ choice of leaders in 2017 should be motivated by political substance and not empty rhetoric.

Kenyans are likely to see more issue-based politics because the Jubilee administration has invented a powerful strategy of countering the opposition through the famous “tyranny of numbers” and the emerging role of Kenya as a leading investment destination in East Africa and a gateway to Africa.

Most of Jubilee’s success can be attributed to President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has excellent public relations skills.

He has displayed a desire to unite Kenyans by uplifting the youth and continued the previous regime’s push to improve the business environment through massive investment in infrastructure.

He identifies with the youth and has initiated projects geared towards improving the lives of young people. The National Youth Service has been revived and rebranded from a post-saba saba “chaos management” outfit to a symbol of national pride and optimism.

This perhaps explains why US President Barack Obama’s Young African Leadership Initiative, a programme that seeks to empower young leaders in Africa, was launched in Nairobi. There is little doubt that leadership that seeks to put young people at the forefront of development is progressive.

Mr Kenyatta’s presidency seems unique because within a short period of time, his regime has successfully marketed brand Kenya globally by winning business support from China and the United States.

However, one might argue that Mr Kenyatta assumed power at a time when the “Africa Rising” narrative that compelled Western and other nations to partner with African states in initiating development projects was emerging, that what we are currently witnessing in Kenya is an inevitable consequence of this wind of change sweeping across the continent. Therefore, Kenya being an anchor state and a hegemon in East and Central Africa, naturally stood to benefit from it.

Nevertheless, it also true that political character and leadership are important in matters economic. Could this explain why Kenya is attracting massive foreign direct investment from those increasingly confident with the ease of doing business in the country? State-funded rural electrification has, for example, doubled our electricity volume and enabled Kenyans to explore innovative business ideas.

If there is anything Kenya stands to benefit from its current position as the continent’s innovation hub, it is its ability to compete internationally and come up with new products. This has compelled computer giant Microsoft to choose Nairobi as one of the cities to launch its latest version of Windows.

All this cannot happen without good leadership.

As the government pursues development politics by increasing its budget for infrastructure, telecommunication, and youth projects, the opposition has a big task ahead of it in next year’s. Kenyans have had enough of promises. A better selling point would be issues such as corruption, insecurity, and electoral reforms.

Editor's note: This article has been revised to clarify that Windows is a Microsoft product.

Dr Ogenga is the head of the Communication, Journalism & Media Studies Department, Rongo University. [email protected]