Kenyans wave flags during the Jamhuri Day celebrations on December 12 last year /ENOS TECHE
The year 2025 is rather interesting since it’s not only the middle of this decade, but it’s also interesting that we are in the mid-term period of this administration where disillusionment usually sets in, akin to a midlife crisis.
This is because the efforts to fulfill campaign promises are yet to fully mature.
Kenya is, by and large, a creation of our colonial boundaries, whereby disparate nations that were either at war with each other or never knew of the existence of one another, were forced to co-exist as a nation-state.
We do have the baggage of this colonial legacy, but we are much more than that. If we are to classify the colonial era as such, then we are in the second republic, with the first one having lasted between independence of 1963 and August 27, 2010.
During this period, there were three administrations led by Presidents Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Moi and Mwai Kibaki.
The focus of the first administration was predicated upon building a nation by shoring up local capacity for self-rule and governance in virtually all aspects of life, coupled with the settling of Kenyans back into their land.
The issue of either centralisation or devolution vis-à-vis national unity was a clear ideological divide amongst the major political parties then. The second administration focused more on education, peace and stability, with a keen focus on the empowerment of girl child education.
We can see these fruits many years later, with girls outperforming boys in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education for the first time. Kenya also played a big role in peace keeping, especially in the horn of Africa and the great lakes region.
The third administration left a lasting legacy in economic reconstruction. Our country’s GDP grew by leaps and bounds and the private sector really performed very well against all odds.
The second republic is defined by the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution that birthed a new Kenya whose architecture is defined by 48 governments, an independent Judiciary, a bicameral Parliament and some kind of four arms of government comprising constitutional commissions and independent offices.
The tail end of the third administration was a transitional period, and the actual implementation of the constitution was realised under the fourth administration led by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Uhuru’s lasting legacy is clearly defined by huge infrastructural projects such as the SGR, Nairobi Expressway, new ports of Mombasa, Lamu and Kisumu, and expansion of the Thika Superhighway, though this has left a huge public debt as a result of going for commercial loans when the economy was rebased by 25 per cent in 2014.
However, more than 12 years later, devolution has really kicked well in despite the initial teething problems.
Kenya is now more developed and there is an emergence of small cities everywhere.
I recently visited places such as Wajir, Bungoma, Kirinyaga, Siaya and Kwale, and one can clearly see how devolution has made an impact on the ground.
This coupled with the National Government Constituency Development Funds have gone a long way in empowering the common mwananchi.
The fifth administration, led by President William Ruto, has predicated its legacy on five pillars: Universal healthcare, agriculture and food security, digital superhighway and the creative economy and the MSME sector through financial inclusion fund, popularly known as the hustler fund.
This year 2025 is critical for the consolidation of the gains already made and the building up of the foundations already set.
It’s true that we have made some painful decisions with far-reaching consequences.
However, the long term benefits far outweigh the momentary loss. For example, the shift to subsidise production has not only revitalised the agriculture sector, but it has led to food security and better incomes for farmers.
The affordable housing programme is truly revolutionary with more than 400 projects spread across the country.
However, it’s also true that one of the enduring setbacks in recent times is declining levels of patriotism and sense of nationhood. Many Kenyans have misused spaces such as the social media to paint a negative image of the country to either settle political scores, attract attention to themselves, or to just get traffic to their pages and accounts.
The digital revolution has had a far-reaching effect on the way we express ourselves, how we make and consume news, how we relate to each other and has stretched the concept of sovereignty to personal levels beyond the physical boundaries of our country.
New youth voices may not fully appreciate the damage that they are causing thus reducing investor confidence that will eventually impact negatively on our country’s progress.
In addition, while it’s the right of Kenyans to hold contrary views, it’s self-defeating to oppose every government initiative just because one wants the President and the government to fail.
If he does, we all do since he has the mandate to execute his manifesto for five years as that is the social contract that we endorsed by the virtue of his election into office.
Let’s all embrace patriotism by pushing through our collective vision so as to secure a better country for us all.
Kenya itainuka, Kenya itasimama,
Kenya itanawiri, kwa umoja na uzalendo
Mimi ni Mkenya mzalendo, je
wewe?
