Rebuilding public trust will require actions, not words

President William Ruto chairs a past Cabinet meeting. [File, Standard]

President William Ruto and other members of his administration have been on a moralising crusade lately, asking parents to be better guardians of their children and reminding the youth to be responsible members of society.

The irony, of course, is that the messengers' own history in public life undercut their message. How can leaders of an administration that has credibly been accused of abducting and killing Kenyans turn around and become moral evangelists? Is the assumption that Kenyans have forgotten all the credible accusations of graft and misgovernance leveled against the same individuals over the last several years? Are they being sincere or is this part of a sick cynical play?