Now, we know why we’ve no good leaders

Recently, during the burial of Environment minister John Michuki in Murang’a, the reason why Kenyans no longer get the best from political leaders came out.

One of the speakers at the funeral service, and a senior politician, while heaping praise on the fallen minister, hinted that leaders, him included, fear challenges that have to be addressed to guarantee Kenyans good leadership.

In a seemingly harmless statement, the politician, who at some time worked in the Environment docket, said he once thought of rehabilitating Nairobi River, but the garbage at the Globe Roundabout put him off! The garbage was too huge for him to imagine how he could have it removed and see full rehabilitation of the river, he said.

Failed leadership

Truly, many of our leaders, in various positions, have feared to confront challenges hindering service delivery and often choose to run away from them. Unfortunately, some of these are now seeking higher offices — including the presidency — after failing to deliver change in their various portfolios.

The office of the presidency, for instance, is the highest responsibility Kenyans can bestow upon any leader. It has so many challenges that have heaped over a long history of political maladministration. Its aspirants must prove they can offer decisive solutions to them.

We need leaders like late John Michuki, who will never fear bigger challenges than just cleaning a Nairobi River.

The politician’s statement was a confirmation that our political leadership has been shying away from confronting poverty, disease inflictions, low quality education, crumbling healthcare and dismal public service to citizens. To date, Anglo leasing, Goldenberg, Triton and other mega corruption cases remain unresolved because the political will is lacking, our political leadership is looking at the garbage that is corruption and take the option of running away hoping somebody else will gather the courage and resolve corruption.

Kenyans are tired of electing indecisive leadership who can never get them out of their day to day sufferings attributable to poverty, corruption and low quality education. This is why we must interrogate our political class. Michuki should be a lesson to those who look at our challenges and do nothing about them.

{Patrick Mutua, Kibwezi}