Why new governors must listen more, allow public participation

Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire when she held a meeting at his temporary office situated at the University of Embu on August 30, 2022. [Muriithi Mugo, Standard]

My attention was torn between watching the Supreme Court proceedings and the transitions unfolding across 47 county governments this week. With Fernandes Barasa and Abdulswamad Nassir elected in Kakamega and Mombasa, the Council of Governors (CoG) is now complete. What are some of the early signs of leadership and opportunity? How do the new governors and their deputies avoid the cycle of impeachment and one-term return home package?

Leadership development advice for the first 100 days usually stresses listening and relationship building before setting and declaring new performance standards and accountability measures. Every policy or procedural problem worth transforming is reinforced by a powerful eco-system. Strong leaders understand this as they introduce transformative changes that affect millions of people's lives.