Peasantry qualification for leadership is a crowded field, let’s find another trait

As Kenyans continue to debate whether the next president should be a “hustler” or one with blue blood, it must be remembered that the country’s founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta was born in a peasant family and that had it not been for the benevolence of the missionaries, he would have just ended up as an illiterate villager just like so many of his age mates who shunned education.

Former President Daniel arap Moi had almost a similar background. His early education was made possible by the missionaries who made forays in Kabarnet in the early days. Moi, at a very young age was under the care of his uncle after his father died.

Even Mwai Kibaki’s story did not stray from this path. Born in a poor family-all his elder siblings did not get the opportunity to go to school. It is said that one of the reasons his father allowed the missionaries to take him to go to school was that he was so young and could not be entrusted with grazing cattle.

However, his brilliance ensured that he scaled the heights and eventually rose to the pinnacle of political power in Kenya-the presidency.

Brilliant student

Our neighbours Tanzania had a president called William Benjamin Mkapa-a man who went to school without shoes. He remembered marveling at the sight of a motor vehicle for the first time when he was in primary school.

He even used to walk a distance of 60 kilometers to school. Being a brilliant student, he joined Makerere University. It is not surprising that he rose to become Tanzania’s third president.

And the greatest of all is Barrack Hussein Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America.

Never in anybody’s wildest imagination could somebody associate the leadership of the free world with Kenya, a tiny state on the fringes of the globe. Out of sheer tenacity and audacity of hope, Mr Obama managed to capture the imagination of the world. His brilliance continues to show even after leaving office where he pens bestsellers among other initiatives.

So, the idea of leaders coming from poor backgrounds is as old as leadership itself. Most great leaders emerge as a result of their initiatives and not necessarily, familial background.

Even in a dynastic political family such as the Kennedys in the US, JF Kennedy stood out because of his unique leadership credentials that were actually unique to him. Granted, there are certain benefits that accrue to being born in a distinguished family and it is not necessarily a bad thing.

Political contest

Since our political contest is underpinned by a democratic universal suffrage, a leader’s offspring does not necessarily have a head start. What matters is the leader’s ability to convince the voters that he or she is up to the task at hand.

This is a very different scenario from a monarchical system where the offspring automatically assumes authority once their parents exit the stage.

However, being born in a politically famous family can be a liability to one’s chances of ascension to leadership. A perfect example is the Odinga family here in Kenya. For the longest time, particularly during the Jomo Kenyatta and Moi eras, the name Odinga was a red flag.

Anybody who associated with the Odingas was an enemy of the State. Clearly, it was some sort of burden to be an Odinga. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Kenya’s second vice president spent many years in the political cold after serving for a mere three years.

The point here, is, that the individual attributes of a leader are weightier in determining their trajectory to leadership than kinship. One way or another, we have to be born in a certain family but that should not be the yardstick to measure one’s suitability to leadership. Most Kenyans are poor.

Failed to grow

The failure of leadership since independence has meant that we have not succeeded in eradicating the three things we set out to: poverty, ignorance and disease. In my view, this is a collective failure and cannot be ascribed to an individual. We have simply failed to grow as a society.

That is why those who are aspiring to assume the leadership of this country ought to focus on serious issues other than splitting hairs by arousing the public attention by whipping up emotions over non-existent contestations. The idea that there are certain people who are entitled to anything is repugnant and divisive. Let political leaders compete based on salient issues that can be meaningfully interrogated by the electorate rather than polarising the nation.

Mr Oketch is the author of Aphorisms and Poems of Light.

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