Why confidence is draining from Kenya's public life

Activists chant slogans as they carry placards and a mock coffin during a protest against a US-built Ebola quarantine centre planned to begin operations at Kenya's Laikipia Air Base, in Nairobi on June 2, 2026.[AFP]

Over the past few weeks, Kenyans have found themselves navigating an unusual succession of national crises, controversies, and tragedies. Fuel prices have risen sharply. Protests have erupted in several towns, some ending in loss of life. 

Questions have emerged over the proposed Ebola facility in Laikipia.  Patients have faced disruptions within the Social Health Authority system. The national budget has reignited debate about taxation, debt, and spending. 

Each issue is different. Yet together they point to a deeper concern that extends beyond policy. Confidence seems to be draining from public life. The challenge is not simply that problems exist. Every country faces economic pressures, public controversies, and unexpected crises. The real test lies in how institutions respond and whether citizens view those responses as credible and aligned with the public interest. 

Recent events suggest this confidence is under strain. Consider the national reaction to the proposed Ebola facility. The controversy has never been driven primarily by technical questions of disease preparedness. Instead, it has exposed wider concerns about transparency, consultation, sovereignty, and accountability. Citizens are asking whether such decisions are being adequately explained and openly debated. 

The same pattern appears elsewhere. When healthcare systems experience repeated disruptions, citizens do not merely question the technology. They begin questioning the institutions behind it. When fuel prices rise while households are already under pressure, the debate quickly expands beyond economics into broader questions of fairness and shared sacrifice. 

Perhaps the most revealing moment came during the National Prayer Breakfast. On a day when the country was reeling from deaths of students in the Utumishi Girls Academy fire, many Kenyans expected a visible expression of national grief and solidarity. Instead, much public discussion afterwards focused on what appeared to be a disconnect between the mood of the nation and tone of the gathering. Whether that perception was fair or not is almost beside the point. Public confidence is shaped not only by decisions, but also by whether institutions appear attentive to citizens’ realities. 

This matters because confidence functions as a form of national capital. It enables societies to absorb shocks, navigate difficult reforms, and sustain public cooperation during periods of hardship. When confidence weakens, every policy becomes harder to implement, every announcement attracts greater scepticism, and every crisis deepens existing frustrations. The result is not necessarily public anger. More often, it is public doubt. Citizens begin to question whether institutions understand their concerns, whether leaders are listening, and whether official priorities reflect lived realities. Over time, that doubt can become more damaging than any single crisis because it shapes how subsequent decisions are interpreted. Kenya does not lack capable institutions or resilient citizens. What it increasingly requires is renewed alignment between the two. Confidence is restored when institutions communicate honestly, act transparently, demonstrate accountability, and respond to concerns. 

A nation can survive mistakes. It falters when citizens stop believing that its institutions are capable of learning from them. The challenge before us is therefore larger than resolving the crisis of the moment. It is rebuilding confidence that institutions remain capable of serving the public good. Without confidence, even the best policies struggle to persuade. Without persuasion, governance itself becomes increasingly difficult. 

-The writer is a consultant in governance.