By Simon Juma, Laikipia University
Who will save us if all leaders are hypocritical? This is a question many Kenyans ask today. In homes, in markets, in schools like Laikipia University, and in villages like Big Tree Village and Siata Village in Trans Nzoia, people ask the same question.
Every election, leaders come with sweet words. They promise jobs. They promise to end corruption. They promise to lower the price of unga, cooking oil and fuel. They promise to help the poor. People believe them. People vote for them with hope.
But after elections, many leaders change. They forget the promises. They start living a rich life. They drive big cars. They build big houses. The same leader who said he will fight corruption is now involved in corruption. The same leader who said he will help the youth is now ignoring the youth. This is hypocrisy.
We have seen this many times in Kenya. Since independence, every government has promised to help common Kenyans. But many Kenyans are still poor. Many young people in Trans Nzoia, Laikipia and other counties have finished college but have no jobs. Farmers still get low prices for maize. Students in Laikipia University still struggle with fees. So people start to feel that all leaders are the same. All leaders are hypocritical.
If that is true, who will save us?
The truth is painful but simple. No single leader will save us. If we keep waiting for one perfect leader, we will wait forever. There is no perfect leader. Every human being has a weakness. Power is a test. Many people fail that test. When a person gets money and power, his true character comes out.
So we must stop thinking that a saviour will come from above. We must start thinking differently. The first saviour is ourselves. The citizens. Kenya will not be saved by one man or one woman. Kenya will be saved when ordinary Kenyans decide to change. Change does not start in State House. It starts in small places.
For example, a farmer in Big Tree Village who decides to keep his land documents safe and not sell his vote for 500 shillings is saving Kenya. A student in Laikipia University who refuses to cheat in exams is saving Kenya. A trader in Nyahururu who refuses to give a bribe to the county officer is saving Kenya. A boda boda rider who follows traffic rules is saving Kenya.
These actions look small, but they are big. If 50 million Kenyans do small honest things every day, the country will change. We cannot complain about hypocritical leaders while we are also hypocritical in our small areas.
The second saviour is the law and strong institutions. A human saviour can die. A human saviour can be corrupted. A human saviour can change. But a strong system can remain for many years. Kenya has a good Constitution. The 2010 Constitution was meant to be our saviour, not a person. It talks about justice, equality, devolution and human rights. If we make our courts strong, if we make our police honest, if we make our schools work, we will not need a saviour. The system will protect everyone, even the poorest child in Siata Village.
But strong institutions do not build themselves. Citizens must protect them. When we see a policeman taking a bribe, we must report. When we see a chief taking land unfairly, we must speak. If we keep quiet, the institutions become weak.
The third saviour is God, for those who believe. Kenya is a religious country. Many people are Christians, Muslims and others. Many people pray for a good leader. Praying is good. But faith without action is useless. You cannot pray for good leaders on Sunday and sell your vote on Tuesday. You cannot pray for an end to corruption and then steal from your workplace. God helps those who help themselves. In the Bible and in the Quran, hard work and honesty are praised. So we must pray, but we must also work honestly.
The fourth saviour is education. The real saviour of any country is an educated generation. Not just a generation with degrees, but a generation that can think critically. A generation that can ask questions. A generation that does not follow leaders blindly because of tribe. In Kenya today, many people vote because of tribe, not because of ideas. A leader from my tribe is good, even if he is corrupt. A leader from another tribe is bad, even if he is honest. This tribal thinking is why hypocritical leaders win. They know Kenyans will vote for tribe, not for truth.
But if we have an educated generation, things will change. Students in Laikipia University who study Communication and Media, Education, Business and other courses must learn to think beyond tribe. They must learn to fact-check leaders. They must learn to write, to speak, to create content that tells the truth about villages like Big Tree Village. Education is a long-term saviour. It does not bring change tomorrow. It brings change after 10 or 20 years. But it is a permanent saviour.
The fifth saviour is unity among ordinary people. Leaders divide Kenyans to rule them. They use tribe, party, religion and class. When Kenyans are divided, leaders can do anything. But when Kenyans are united, leaders fear them. Look at what happens when Kenyans unite on social media to talk about high prices or bad services. Leaders listen quickly. That shows the power of unity. If farmers, students, traders and workers unite to demand better services, leaders will have no choice but to work.
So who is our saviour?
Our saviour is not one person. Our saviour is all of us. Our saviour is our honesty. Our saviour is our respect for the law. Our saviour is our faith put into action. Our saviour is our education. Our saviour is our unity. We must stop worshipping leaders. Leaders are not gods. They are servants. We employ them. We pay them through taxes. So we must not clap for them when they lie. We must not praise them when they steal. We must hold them accountable.
In conclusion, all leaders can be hypocritical if we allow them to be. If we elect them because of tribe, if we sell our votes, if we keep quiet when they steal, they will remain hypocritical. But if we change as citizens, leaders will also change. Or they will be forced out. No one is coming to save us from outside. No one is coming from America, Europe or anywhere else to save Kenya. We are the ones we have been waiting for.
