BWIRE: Kenya’s Zohra moment: How people-powered campaign could win 2027

Power attracts! This time, politics attracted yet another good candidate, Zohra Mamdani, in the United States.

Zohra Mamdani, 34, born in Uganda, now the mayor-elect of New York, has represented the struggles that minority aspirants in politics face worldwide.

He is the first Muslim elect mayor of African-South Asian identity. He is much younger than the typical mayors who have been there before and has a democratic socialist political ideology.

Zohra put up a street and social media campaign that many have not seen in a long time. His type of campaign was participatory, people-powered; he went to the supermarkets, the roads, the clubs, you name it.

He had to work harder than the oligarch representative, former NY Governor, Andrew Cuomo, a son of a former governor, and it paid off, simply because the underrepresented, who form the majority of voters always could relate and went ahead and voted.

Zohra defied race, place of birth, convictions, religion and age, something oligarchs, especially in the majority south use to smear other candidates with. I mean, the new mayor, born from pretty successful parents, is qualified and merits in all ways possible, professionally and academically.

Lets bring this home. Zohra’s win can be replicated in Kenya by an aspiring candidate below 40 years, with a good track record, a similar educational advantage, professional advantage, charm and of course some little resources to kickstart a campaign for presidency.

Here is a how to guide to defy the very country-specific barriers to entry in defeating our oligarchs.

In Kenya, a ‘Zohra-style’ victory would require a bold reimagining of political campaigning, shifting from the traditional chest-thumping, rally-driven machinery to genuine people-powered movement building.

Our under-40 aspirants must situate themselves at the heart of Kenya’s deepest frustrations: unemployment, corruption and exclusion from economic opportunity.

They will need to speak to boda boda operators, the working class, hawkers, mama mbogas, creatives and tech-savvy youth in the same breath not from podiums, but directly, in their own spaces.

Imagine a leader who doesn’t wait for crowds, but walks the estates of Ngumo, Kitengela, Githurai and Manyatta, visits dormitories in public universities, attends open-mic nights in Kibra, goes clubbing in Kilimani and Westlands and takes breakfast with long-distance truck drivers in Mlolongo, Mombasa Road. Believe me, if you are that kind of candidate, you will attract voters.

We, the majority, as Kenya's young voters are tired of dynasties trading power like family heirlooms. Case in point, we loved Raila Odinga, buthe has now rested, and we do not need his brother, son or daughter, or any other heir. No! We crave relatability over entitlement and dynasties.

A candidate who transparently publishes how every campaign shilling is spent, who uses digital platforms for participatory decision-making and who organises volunteer-led ‘action days’ to fix community challenges.

If they demonstrate humility, competence and a credible anti-corruption stance, the youth will rally, not just as spectators, but as active co-owners of the campaign.

The year 2027 is ripe for disruption. A charismatic, capable, under-40 Kenyan, regardless of gender, tribe, religion, or background, unburdened by old-school baggage, can replicate Zohra’s feat by turning mass frustration into organised hope and converting hope into votes. Over to you if you fit this description.