Give us leaders with integrity and keep the degrees

Predictably, the announcement by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Wafula Chebukati that aspirants for elective posts with no degrees will not be allowed to participate in the 2022 General Election has drawn indignation and anger against a law that is now seen as discriminatory.

Discriminatory it certainly is, but the surprise and anger is pretentious because this is not a new law. It is a requirement in the amended Section 22 of the Election Act and could have applied in the 2017 election but was postponed ostensibly to give time to those with ambitions for elective posts acquire the degrees. What may have looked like a distant future is now here and unless the law is changed, it must apply.

Moves to amend the law are afoot but whether or not it is changed is a moot point. What the controversy does is scrutinise the place of a degree in political leadership in Kenya. It certainly is vitally important that those aspiring to lead wards, constituencies, counties or the country MUST have the capacity to understand the implications of the onerous burden that they have agreed to bear.

Leadership places one in a position of great responsibility as it situates one at the centre of making laws, interpreting laws, arguing against or supporting a wide range of proposals that directly impact everything central to the voters’ lives.

It can be as basic as a municipality decision to name a road after some random guy to life-changing decisions on environment, education, health, security, war, etc.

Elected leaders represent the people. They carry and exercise delegated authority from Kenyans to, inter alia, make laws at all levels, vet the actions and decisions of the Executive; approve and play an oversight role on the use of taxpayers’ money and have power to impeach the governor (at the counties) and the President.

These are far-reaching and extensive powers and responsibilities that demand extreme awareness of both the mundane ebb and flow of the electorates’ emotions to the highly sophisticated and delicately nuanced international realities, agreements and protocols and their implications to Kenya generally, or even to their constituents.

Power to read and act

To have a degree helps if that certification was properly earned and one can demonstrate that they possess the “power to read and act” according to the expectations of the qualification. 

But to have a degree on its own can never be enough, which is why effective leaders rely on subject matter experts and researchers to help them grasp the meaning and implications of certain laws, proposals and actions.

What is critical is to have a clear understanding of the role one is taking on and appreciating that you will need help to navigate the jargon and complexity of theory. You will be a fool to try and be an authority on everything, so don’t try. 

Choose what you are passionate about, read extensively around it and consult those that know. A good pass and endless curiosity will do just as effectively as a degree, and a very healthy respect for integrity.

Our history serves up many examples of political leaders at all levels that did not have a degree but served this country with honour and distinction. 

We lost our bearing when we started applauding thieves and bestowed on them political leadership. Chapter Six of our Constitution and the very elaborate criteria spelt out by the IEBC on who qualifies to contest an electoral seat are effective guarantees that if applied diligently, we will get men and women worthy of leadership positions.

We have ignored them and chosen instead to equate political leadership to riches. All you need now is money – to corrupt the system, buy votes and dazzle the gullible voters that ironically need support to effectively execute their civic duties.

Candidates for President and governors amass (mostly illegally) billions to splurge on campaigns and if they win, steal with utmost zeal to replenish the war chest.

Evidence of this looting stares one in the face when one applies a simple comparison of the lifestyles of degree and non-degree holder MCAs, MPs and governors before they were elected and four years into the job. The transformation is astounding. 

They did not go to serve those that elected them because if they did, the corruption, the sloth and confusion in the Executive, the environmental degradation, the neglect in agriculture, the scary national debt, etc. could not all be so extreme. Theft is qualification agnostic. Integrity and willingness to serve is what we need in our leaders, not degrees.

The writer is a former Editor-in-Chief of Nation Media Group and is now consulting. [email protected], @tmshindi)