Jubilee party: will the extravaganza be short-lived?

Jubilee party, the new outfit for President Uhuru Kenyatta and deputy president William Ruto was launched with a lot of fanfare with a colorful extravaganza never seen in Kenya before.

A record number of opposition members of parliament, several governors have switched sides and have pitched tent in the new party. Elections 2017 will be the penultimate journey for President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto. 2017 being the last political term for president Uhuru-it will be the litmus test for him and will serve as the springboard for William Ruto's quest for the presidency in 2022.

In 2017, the leadership of Kenya, the president and his deputy and those they entrust with the instruments of power cannot afford to fumble; they simply have to deliver to the expectations of Kenyans.

Mr. Kenyatta, through his new political vehicle, Jubilee will be looking to leave a mark on the country's history books, memories that will either be cherished or frowned upon and which will remain etched forever on many people's minds.

Understandably, celebrations, color and aplomb aside, Kenyans are used to promises and the latest din of political reassurances and voices are part of the political culture that exists in this country. It's what consummate politicians do.

Although the ruling coalition has delivered on some fronts, the malfeasance of corruption continues to eat at the moral fabric of Kenya, putting into shreds the modest gains achieved so far.

Tribalism within the public service and in the private sector is still an intractable problem. Poverty fueled by wanton greed and circumvention of due process by those entrusted to shepherd important levers of government also contributes to add to the litany of issues that continue to weigh down this administration, sapping confidence and denting Kenya's image abroad.

The unveiling of the new jubilee party should offer a fresh start for Kenya. It should not just be about spending and splurging, but it should offer Kenyans a complete break with the past.

At the very least, the new jubilee political outfit should not be akin to a monstrous chimney that belches out dangerous smoke, but should be the focal point of transformational ideas that will help create transcendental leadership-leadership that allows for reflection, is values driven and helps to facilitate dialogue among Kenyans.

The envisaged transcendental leadership should hopefully put the country on the trajectory of development; in human capital, industry, politically, socio-economically in 2017 and beyond.

Mr. Kenyatta and William Ruto have so far done well, but there is still a schism among Kenyans: economic schism and tribal and they cannot afford to sit on their laurels.

Fighting the morass of corruption in 2017 and beyond should remain a key plank of their tray and should remain front and center of their development agenda.

That would be the blurb of President Kenyatta's historical legacy in 2022 as he will be exiting the political scene and would be the defining moment for Mr. Ruto's expected ascendancy to the presidency in 2022.

As the Jubilee political orchestra leaves town and as the party winds down, the hope is that the president and his deputy will knuckle down to some serious business.