Every society defines success and provides value lenses that guide its pursuit. In Kenya, however, success has largely been reduced to wealth and power, often achieved through questionable means.
The responsibility of shaping a nation’s values falls upon its leaders, who should mentor younger generations by setting ethical standards and guiding them on legitimate paths to achievement.
Yet, our political leadership has spectacularly failed in this duty, allowing corruption, impunity and self-interest to overshadow integrity, service and good governance.
This failure has had far-reaching consequences, normalising the looting of public resources and making politicians the weakest link in the fight against corruption and poor governance.
As Nelson Mandela once said, “Real leaders must be ready to sacrifice all for the freedom of their people.” Unfortunately, in Kenya, leadership is more about self-preservation than self-sacrifice.
Instead of promoting meritocracy, the political class has glorified shortcuts, patronage and corruption, leaving hardworking and ethical individuals feeling that integrity is a liability rather than an asset. Political leaders are expected to uphold ethical standards and lead by example.
However, many Kenyan politicians have prioritised personal gain over national progress.
The result is a generation that sees political office as a get-rich-quick scheme rather than a calling to serve.
Young people, instead of aspiring to build careers in business, academia, or innovation, are drawn to politics because it offers the quickest route to wealth—often through looting public resources.
Kenya has a robust constitutional and legal framework to promote ethics and good governance.
Institutions like the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and Office of the Auditor-General are mandated to safeguard public resources.
However, these institutions are often weakened by political interference and their efforts are largely futile against entrenched impunity.
Mahatma Gandhi famously stated, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
But in Kenya, many leaders have lost themselves in the service of their own bank accounts.
The notion that public office is a place of service has been eroded. When corruption is exposed, leaders rarely face justice.
Instead, they mobilise ethnic and political bases to escape accountability.
Those implicated often rebrand themselves as victims of political persecution rather than perpetrators of economic crimes.
As a result, the public gradually becomes desensitised to corruption scandals, treating them as normal rather than outrageous.
This normalisation of theft has led to an apathetic citizenry, where the electorate continues to vote for leaders with known corruption records.
Instead of demanding accountability, voters often celebrate the wealth of politicians, forgetting that much of it is amassed through the theft of public funds.
Undoubtedly, the political class wields immense influence over institutions tasked with fighting corruption and ensuring good governance.
Parliament, which should serve as an oversight agency, often rubber-stamps decisions that serve personal and party interests rather than the public good.
Barack Obama once remarked, “The arc of the moral universe may bend toward justice, but it doesn’t bend on its own.”
Without political will, laws and institutions remain powerless.
The fight against corruption requires leadership that is not only willing but also capable of enforcing accountability without bias.
Instead of strengthening the Judiciary and investigative agencies, politicians have worked to weaken them.
When caught in corruption scandals, they bribe their way out of justice or influence appointments to ensure they are protected. Some even use public resources to fight back against institutions meant to hold them accountable.
The words of former US President Theodore Roosevelt resonate deeply: “To educate a person in the mind but not in morals is to educate a menace to society.”
Kenya cannot afford to continue producing leaders who are intellectually competent but morally inept.
Kenya’s greatest betrayal is not just the corruption of its leaders but the distortion of values that has made corruption acceptable. Political leadership has failed to set the right standards for success, leaving a nation where impunity reigns supreme. However, all is not lost.
A collective effort by citizens, institutions and reform-minded leaders can restore the country’s moral compass. True success must be redefined—not by wealth and power, but by integrity, service and good governance.
The writer teaches Globalisation and International Development at Pwani University and is a Programmes Associate at DTM, a Media CSO. [email protected]
