A 'good' dictator is appealing but cost is too high

Presidents William Ruto, Samia Suluhu and Yoweri Museveni. [File, Courtesy]

“Would you trade your freedom for speed and efficiency?” Last week, President Ruto said, “Countries that have succeeded have done so because they are a dictatorship. Once the leader decides, you cannot say no or question.”

On the surface, the argument seems simple: a single leader, unopposed, can act decisively. But history and regional experience suggest a more complicated reality that Kenya cannot ignore. Authoritarianism thrives not only through force but also by weakening institutions, silencing dissent, and controlling information. Autocracies now outnumber liberal democracies worldwide.