Beyond the Mountain Lies the Price and Quality of Leadership.

By: Sabastian Mwangangi.

Leadership is a factor of genes, efforts and environment. In political class 101, Interpretation of power politics and leadership, it’s argued that it is not quantity of leadership that brings forth results. In fact there could be so many leaders and very little leadership.

They say the power you acquire should be a catalyst to thrust you further, use it to serve your subjects and transforms their lives as well as building your political and leadership acumen among community of men and women.

Kenyan leader to take up the mantle of the future of our country will be inaugurated by the concept of “Paradox of realized power and use of power resources”. It’s in fact a political perpetual succession which like culture has to be passed on from one generation to another through sheer effort and hard work demonstrated via relentless service to the Kenya population.

Power as an Asset

Scholars in power and leadership have a meeting of the mind that Power is an asset and a variable in maintaining support, soft power and sustaining development for your country.

It seems mountain region has never had shortage of leaders since the days of our nation founding father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta through the era of Matiba, Kibaki, Uhuru and the present.

The region presents a well-blended cocktail of great and admirable leaders of our time.

The region by all standards possess the 4 types of power embedded on the fertility of their produce in terms of sons and daughters in leadership, economic muscle, voting power unity, huge population among others.

Mountain potential power, probable power, actual power and putative power necessitate them to have a bargain in whatever formation comes beyond 2027.

Political theorists define Power as a means of influence and control of activities of another actor. The region must silence any form of voices that threatens unity of purpose and champion common agenda for the wider interest of her people. The future leadership is self-grooming through meticulous public service.

The Prof. Kithure Kindiki factor

Mt Kenya East and West have ability to convert their potential power into actual power that delivers goodies to her people. One of her industrious son is Prof Kithure Kindiki, CS Interior and National Administration.

Professor has demonstrated in words and deeds that he mean business on matters service delivery to Kenyan Population wherever they are.

How Prof Kindiki has managed in a record 7 months to bring relative and a qualified peace in the troubled North Rift remains a mystery to many of us considering the problem of cattle rustling in that region has been in existence since 1957.

Hope has been restored and rebuilding efforts have begun and he has assured the nation in 2 years’ time the region shall pride in lasting peace.

The son of mountain is giving us good name and has continued to be ranked the best performing Cabinet Secretary by an array of pollsters.

Professor Kindiki has converted his potential power into a working adrenalin and harnessed his political and leadership skills into a delivery unit plus the a collective good will of the President and His Deputy into a power resource thus effectively bringing excellent results in the security docket. Without an iota of doubt it can be argued that Kindiki is securing the twin futures, that of Kenya together with his own future. History shall reserve several pages in his honor !

What next for the Region

The region as a matter of urgency should start conversations on power predictions based on ability to serve and deliver tangible outcomes. The region should also come up with a fluid framework of handling their brand leaders based on their strengths and national acceptability.

Locals from both Mt Kenya East and West should start mapping out their leaders based on their levels of national appeal, attractiveness, and influence and calculate their weighted mean nationally for purposes of future deployment because a leader is merely a work in progress.

Based on their well thought out investigations and perceptions they can proceed and a perfect the perfectible.

Putative power sees power as a means of getting things done. Prof Kindiki has initiated series of reforms including Taskforce on police reforms now that include reforms on National Youth Service that will seal perennial gaps within operations of National police service and improve their working conditions. Taskforce to review legal and regulatory framework governing religious organisations in Kenya, unprecedented reforms in Immigration department and Prisons among others.

Kindiki is well managing the fungibility of power which tries to answer the question, – Does it mean the more power you possess the more successes come along with it? To those who may fail in management of power an asset, the same power shall mutates into a liability.

(The writer is a PhD finalist at the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies, University of Nairobi, can be reached via mwangangisab82@gmail.com)