Why Kenyans' search for perfect president will be elusive for long

Police officers guard ballot boxes containing presidential ballot papers from Jomvu polling station in Mombasa. [File, Standard]

Hoping for a perfect president in Kenya, it seems, is like waiting for Godot. Godot is a character in Samuel Beckett’s play, Waiting for Godot, in which two men wait endlessly for a person who never arrives. Although they are persistent and patient, they ultimately become disappointed.

This is a metaphor that aptly captures the Kenyan electorate’s perennial yearning for a perfect president: A visionary leader who will deliver prosperity, justice, and unity. Yet, for over six decades of independence, such a figure has remained elusive. Why do I say so?