Ballot numbers
Candidates for next year's presidential election must make the daily running of government the main subject of their debate. This discourse should cover our internal and external debt obligations, alongside other economic and political commitments, pledges, treaties, and protocols.
We must reject the tired cliché of how they will remove this or that "burden" without offering an iota of what a better replacement would be, or telling us how they will offer free services without mentioning who will foot the bill.
More importantly, it will take an enlightened population to move from the current stupor and "anything goes" attitude to the reality of how the government we want should operate for our collective benefit.
The lazy ritual we have engaged in every fifth year — electing political leaders without the requisite scrutiny informed by a knowledgeable citizenry—has been our bane. We have settled for less, normalised bad behaviour, and glorified and rewarded criminals to the point where some Kenyans view constructive criticism with contempt.
Our politicians love noise because reasoning and scrutiny disappear within it as emotions take over. Thanks to the era of virtual loudness, we never run short of platforms and individuals conveying propaganda.
The manner in which Kenyans usher in new governments and their reactions shortly thereafter demonstrate the need to reflect seriously on how manifestos can be used as tools for accountability.
The 2010 constitution created structures that should have worked for us despite the attendant financial burden. However, what we have witnessed so far is a drain on national and county coffers without commensurate benefits. It is, therefore, urgent that a sober and realistic review of the constitution be undertaken to make both levels of government lean, responsive, transparent and non-duplicative.
We must disrupt the normalcy that has bred complacency and grounded us for decades, while dismantling the counterproductive and tendentious silo mentality. Solving complex developmental problems calls for an integrated approach. Rejigging our economy to create jobs and build a cohesive society based on a culture of frugality and trust springs from honesty.
If we create systems that are difficult to abrogate and manipulate, successive administrations will have no option but to accelerate development. The opposition's habit of perfecting criticism to derail the government — while hoping to inherit the same state appendages, vestiges, and relics — is unacceptable.
As we monitor and act on the current government, we must remain vigilant regarding aspiring candidates' pompous platitudes to avoid a leadership dilemma. For example, the arduous debt debate propagated by Jimmy Wanjigi is a simplistic idea aimed at appealing to the masses without offering any practical solutions; it must be debunked for the sake of clarity and realism.
Odhiambo Jamwa
Economic and political analyst
