Other nations can learn from Kenya

That Kenya has conducted peaceful elections and ensured a smooth transfer of power from retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s to President William Ruto’s administration has sent a strong signal that it is committed to regional peace.

Yesterday’s swearing-in ceremony was, therefore, a big plus for Kenya given that it has shown leadership as a country that can manage transfer of power peacefully. This stamp of authority must be what attracted over 20 heads of State and numerous high-powered government delegations to witness the swearing-in ceremony. President Ruto correctly pointed out that the East Africa Community now extends from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic coastline, making it a significant trading and diplomacy bloc. 

Tanzanian President Suluhu Hassan expressed the relief of many in the region when she said that Kenya’s neighbours were watching anxiously to see if the country would conduct peaceful elections. Her sentiments implied that if Kenya had sneezed, the East African Community would have caught a cold. As Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni pointed out, Kenya is a critical neighbour in the trading bloc and is a country of interest, and not just in East Africa. He rightly challenged the media to not only think about Kenya when covering election campaigns but to also ensure that they contextualize what happens in Nairobi with what this implies for the rest of the region. This is a challenge that both media and the new administration ought to rise up to and avoid under-appreciating the country’s importance to the peace and prosperity of the rest of the bloc. Leaders particularly singled out Retired President Uhuru for appreciation for ensuring a peaceful transition of power.

 Indeed, because of his leadership, Kenya has become a country worth benchmarking with in East Africa and beyond, first because it managed its politics well and also because its institutions have demonstrated their steadfastness in mid wifing elections and transitions.  These are gains that the new administration ought to build on to ensure Kenya becomes an important geo-political player and leading light in governance.

As various leaders have opined, African countries face numerous governance challenges but because Kenya has demonstrated that these can be handled successfully should send a signal to others that they too can raise their game and ensure democracy takes root across the continent. This will be good for the people of Africa, and it will encourage political leaders to allow peaceful transitions, confident in the knowledge that there will be a bigger role for them to play in developing Africa. For this reason, Kenyans deserve a pat on the back.

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