Finally, our political reality is changing. Our country is home to 54 million people, and those aged 18-35 make up 75% of our population. Finally, we are reaping the rewards of our demographic dividends with calls for a new Kenya, a new type of values-based leadership.
In May of 2023, I wrote a letter to President Ruto in The Nation warning of the disastrous implications of last year’s finance bill of 2023. I called to end wasteful spending, truly deliver on promises to provide health care, decent housing, and jobs.
Everyday, through the work of SHOFCO, I meet amazing young men and woman who are the true hustlers, working everyday to just put a small meal on the table. It should not be this hard. Simple day-to-day survival cannot be akin to winning the lottery; especially not in a nation like Kenya where we can and do have the resources, the talent and the chance to generate opportunities for all.
And yet, these opportunities cannot be this inequitably distributed. I met a young woman in Mukuru called Cathy who told me about her struggles to get any kind of dignified work; and yet she still has so much hope and faith in our country, in our Kenya, and that our future will be better for her four-year-old daughter.
Today, I also share Cathy’s hope for our country’s future because of a new movement led by our young generation who are not blinded by the status quo, false tribal politics, empty promises and who live in a new era where they seek and demand accountability and transparency. Truly, these demands are more than reasonable.
Africa is waking up from East to West, led by our young people. I wrote in September of 2023 in another article that our continent risks an urban spring if we do not seriously, and meaningfully address the youth job crisis, the ravaging of corruption and inequality, and our true leadership crisis.
I wrote, our young people will stand up, when “see their leaders speaking loosely as if they are the god of the country, then they are forced to think of an alternative to protect their future and the nation. The only way a country can grow is by creating jobs. If we create jobs for the youth, then we will have a progressive Africa. But if few leaders care about amassing wealth for themselves, we are all going to lose.”
Today, we risk all losing, OR emerging together as winners if we reconstruct our nation, our politics, and our day-to-day lives around values-based leadership.
What values do we want to see, and are currently bereft in those holding elected office in our nation?
Our leaders have quite simply, lost our trust
We, as normal Kenyans, know who have stolen in this country and how some individuals made their wealth and yet they are walking scot-free.
This should not happen in a country that has strong institutions. We have seen high profile corruption cases collapsing in court. We see money wasted on cars, offices, flowers and yet children are chased away for lack of school fees.
I have been reflecting a lot; how did we find ourselves here? I think we found ourselves here because of trust. The majority of Kenyans mainly the youth do not trust those in leadership. A country goes down when there is no trust.
In an African context, church leaders were supposed to be the voice of reason. I remember in Kibera where I grew up, when things were not working well, a committee of church leaders used to calm things down. But right now, we also religious leaders as lacking these key fundamental aspects of values based leadership. They now use the pulpit to receive money from politicians and they show off to the public. They have lost credibility.
The Kenya we are today is about credibility. We have seen leaders showing off their wealth. Showing off their choppers and high end vehicles. Carrying money in sacks. We are in a very tough situation.
Who do we trust?
When India was going through the turmoil, they looked at Mahatma Gandhi. They trusted Gandhi not to be bought. Gandhi’s style of leadership wasn’t about personal gain or power. It was about serving others, sticking to one’s principles, and inspiring others to do the same.
It was about uniting people to work towards a common goal, prioritizing the good of the community over personal gains. That’s leadership we are lacking as a country.
In South Africa, they trusted Nelson Mandela. Mandela had a clear vision for his country. He dreamt of South Africa without racial discrimination, and he ended apartheid rule. He consistently held onto this vision even during a difficult time in his country and he became a global icon who we admire until now. He earned the trust of the people he led.
This is an opportunity for Kenyan leaders to know that people are watching their characters. It has been a country where politicians show off wealth and not characters. Those days are over. The young population are searching for leaders that they can trust. Leaders with principles. Leaders with strong characters. Leaders who are willing to keep their heads down, quietly do their work and deliver. Not for themselves. Not for their families. But for Kenyans; today—and those generations still to come.
We should look for leaders who have a track record of values-based leadership. The values of service and results, integrity, accountability, delivery, humility and the ability to listen and unite.
In Kenya in 2024 it is unacceptable that millions of Kenyans struggle to get clean water. Fail to send their kids to school for lack of fees. Wake up each day with an impossible task; simply putting one meal on the table. Fear to report violence in their homes and communities because of police corruption. Lack basic housing and sanitation.
Our young people see who we are today; but also who we can be; if we demand a values-based approach to leadership.
Dr. Kennedy Odede, is the founder and CEO of Shofco, a member of USAid Advisory Board, a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, multiple humanitarian award winner, including 2022 Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year, best-selling author. Twitter @KennedyOdede
