President William Ruto has changed the nature of political competition in Kenya by placing greater focus on policy knowledge, preparation and the ability to explain government decisions, political risk analyst Dismas K. Mokua has said.
With the 2027 General Election approaching, Mokua said politicians seeking elective positions will have to move beyond slogans and broad campaign promises and show voters what they intend to do, how they will do it and whether they have the ability to deliver.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Thursday, the political risk analyst said Ruto's style of political engagement had created a tougher standard for politicians seeking to challenge him, particularly if they face him in a presidential debate.
“In my view, President Ruto has raised the bar that if you are going to run for political office, whether it's MCA or you want to become the president of the Republic of Kenya, you must now abandon political slogans and give us facts. There must be clarity on what you are going to do,” he noted.
Mokua said politicians frequently make wide-ranging promises on issues such as taxation and constitutional changes without explaining how their proposals would be turned into government policy.
He argued that voters should therefore look beyond campaign messages and judge candidates by their knowledge of public policy, leadership ability and understanding of how their proposals can be put into practice.
“In my view, Kenyans need to be convinced that you actually have capacity and competence. You have the leadership credentials, and if there is going to be a presidential debate next year, whoever is going to be having a presidential debate with William will have a nightmare.”
The analyst linked the higher expectations to what he described as Ruto's level of preparation for public engagements.
He pointed to the President's recent health-sector town hall, saying the detailed responses given during the session should be seen as a sign that the President had prepared adequately rather than simply being dismissed as a carefully arranged event.
However, Mokua said Ruto would also have to answer difficult questions if he goes into a presidential debate, particularly over his administration's human rights record, the Gen Z demonstrations and alleged abductions.
He identified the three areas as issues that could put the President under pressure when facing his political opponents directly.
Mokua further called for political claims to be supported by facts, especially when candidates attack government programmes such as the affordable housing initiative.
He said politicians who describe the programme as a failure should be able to point to specific cases and evidence to support their position instead of relying on general statements.
“Political slogans must be anchored on material facts because the people like to come and give us generalities. People claim that affordable housing is a failure, but when you ask them, ‘You said affordable housing is a failure. Where is it a failure?’ they're not able to give anything,” he maintained.
According to Mokua, the 2027 election should give Kenyans an opportunity to compare competing policies and ideas instead of allowing political rhetoric to dominate the campaign.
He also said Ruto would need to deal with misinformation and disinformation as he seeks to retain public support ahead of the election.
Mokua urged voters to examine the platforms presented by all candidates closely and demand clear answers, practical plans and greater accountability from those seeking their support.