South Imenti MP Kiraitu Murungi last month claimed too much democracy was a hindrance to good governance. It was an argument similar to that of some PointBlank readers earlier in the year.

Having a democracy-dictatorship hybrid system with a "benevolent dictator" or "brief military rule" would clean up our hopeless situation, the readers argued. But just like we did on March 26 (The ill wind of dictatorship mustn’t be allowed to blow), PointBlank rejects this spurious stance.

However, in the last couple of years coups in Guinea, Mauritania and Madagascar have proved dictatorship is on the rebound. The lure of extending presidential terms in some countries has also inspired little confidence.

But not even the most pessimistic would have expected the thumbs down given by the Mo Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership, which awards a president who has left office in the last three years.

This year the prize committee declared nobody was fit to be declared winner. This may be an indication that Africa’s leadership problems are far from over.