Kenya risks putting political popularity ahead of competence when choosing leaders, University of Nairobi senior lecturer Wekesa Maloba has warned, arguing that the ability to win votes does not necessarily mean one has the skills needed to manage a country.
Maloba said Kenya’s democratic system can favour politicians who are good at attracting crowds and delivering messages that appeal to large sections of the population, while highly skilled professionals may struggle to succeed in such contests.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Tuesday, Maloba questioned whether an election victory should be treated as proof that an individual is capable of managing the complex affairs of a country.
“Unfortunately, democracy is a very poor way of selecting individuals who will now eventually select the managers of the economy, because you see, democracy depends on populism. It has nothing to do with competence. In fact, some of the most competent individuals can never make it in populist contests. Never,” Maloba highlighted.
His remarks come as Kenyan politics continues to be shaped by messages that rely on simple and emotionally powerful themes, particularly around economic struggles affecting ordinary citizens.
The 2022 presidential election provided a clear example, with President William Ruto building his campaign around the “hustlers” and “dynasties” narrative.
Academic research published in African Affairs described Ruto’s campaign as an appeal to young and low-income Kenyans working in the informal economy. The campaign also tapped into anger over rising prices and dissatisfaction with the previous Jubilee administration.
At the time, more than 80 per cent of Kenyans worked in the informal economy, giving the “hustler” message a wide potential audience.
The campaign used simple symbols and language to connect with voters. The wheelbarrow was presented as a symbol of the ordinary Kenyan trying to earn a living, while the term “dynasties” was used to describe established political families portrayed as being detached from the struggles facing ordinary citizens.
Researchers have described the approach as populist rhetoric because it created a political divide between ordinary people and a powerful elite.
A separate analysis of the 2022 election found that Ruto’s “bottom-up” economic message pushed economic issues further into the centre of the campaign, with promises aimed at small-scale farmers, petty traders and other low-income groups.
For Maloba, however, the ability to attract voters and build a popular following should not be mistaken for professional ability.
“Some of the most competent people can never measure up as popular individuals. All right. They can be so unlikable, but then give them a job,” he said.
The lecturer compared running a country to operating an aircraft, noting that passengers rely on trained professionals to fly them rather than selecting pilots based on popularity.
He questioned why the same thinking should not apply when choosing people to lead a country, given the complexity involved in running a nation.
“Do you think a country is even not more complex than that plane? It is. But then, how do we select the people who will eventually pilot the country? We're using populism instead of competence,” he maintained.
Kenya’s recent political events have also demonstrated the power of issues that directly affect households.
In 2024, youth-led protests against the Finance Bill 2024 spread across the country, with anger over proposed tax increases and the cost of living forcing the government to withdraw the Bill.
President Ruto later announced spending cuts and other measures as the government responded to the political and economic impact of the protests.
For Maloba, such events show how issues such as jobs, taxation, food prices and access to services can generate strong political support because they speak directly to the daily experiences of voters.
He argued, however, that emotional and popular messages should not take the place of assessing whether leaders have the technical ability required to govern.
Maloba also questioned political leaders’ frequent references to Singapore as a model for Kenya, arguing that some of those who promise to take Kenya in that direction would not meet the standards they associate with the country.
“That's why sometimes I laugh when we are we are told we are going to Singapore. The people who are saying we are going to Singapore, there are two things here. Number one, These people would actually be heading into a jail cell if they were to end up in Singapore. And number two, the same people would never have been allowed in Singapore to even mention anything to do with the leadership. But they are the people who tell us they're going taking us to Singapore, it's quite ironic,” he maintained.
The senior lecturer said Kenya has no shortage of people who understand the country’s challenges but questioned whether their expertise receives the attention it deserves in a political environment where influence can determine whose views gain prominence.
He further questioned why political statements can attract greater public attention than evidence-based explanations from professionals, even when the latter are carefully considered and supported by facts.
With the 2027 General Election approaching, Maloba’s remarks have placed the question of competence at the centre of the debate on how Kenyans assess political leaders, particularly in an electoral system where a compelling message can sometimes prove more powerful than technical expertise.