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Scholars are literally dropping the chalk for raucous political platforms as they seek to transfer knowledge from books to the world of politics.

Across the country, lecturers and high school principals are leaving their calling to join politics, with most of them eyeing governor, deputy governor, senator, MP and even MCA seats.  

This is despite growing fears that the gap left behind could soon make universities and colleges gigantic shells without the wisdom of the nation’s top brains.

Winnie Mitullah, a University of Nairobi professor at the Institute of Development Studies, says many of the dons abandoning the profession are being pulled by the luxurious lifestyles of political officeholders. “They have seen the perks and huge salaries for little work in those offices; the bodyguards and the benefits from these political offices,” she said.

Degradation of academia

She noted that the continuing degradation of academia in favour of politics was injuring knowledge transfer.  “In the ’70s and ’80s, professors were paid quite well. They earned higher than politicians. But right now, it is the opposite,” she added.

Despite these concerns, the higher institutions of learning continue to register brain drain as dons opt out for politics. 

In Nairobi, a former Kibwezi MP, Prof Philip Kaloki, who is an established academician, has been picked as a running mate for Azimio governor candidate Polycarp Igathe and is expected to tap the wealth of knowledge attained in academia to co-run city affairs if they are elected.

Prof Kaloki holds a  Phd in Business Administration and became an Assistant Professor of Business in 2005 at Dallas Baptist University in the US.  Kaloki, who recently served as board chairman of Kenya Medical Training College, said they would mainstream service delivery if elected.

“The best way to serve others is by knowing where and when they need services. Our strategy is simple: implement the people’s manifesto,” said Kaloki whose team is up against Kenya Kwanza’s competitor Johnson Sakaja, who has picked James Muchiri to pair him.

In Kericho, the county may yet again have a former university lecturer as the next governor after Dr Erick Mutai was picked as the United Democratic Alliance aspirant. He stands a great chance of being elected, considering the party’s popularity in the region. He resigned from Embu University to seek the seat, which is being vacated by Prof Paul Chepkwony — a long-serving Moi University lecturer who clinched the county seat in 2013.

Dr Mutai, a governance expert, was a senior lecturer at Embu University and holds a Phd from Laikipia University. 

In Kisumu, a good number of professors and doctors are seeking political offices, the topmost being veteran politician and scholar, Prof Anyang Nyong’o, who is defending his governor’s seat on ODM.  

Nyong’o has retained deputy governor, Dr Mathew Owili, as his running mate while Prof Tom Ojienda, a lawyer and lecturer will be battling for the Senate seat. 

In Kwale, Prof Hamadi Boga, another scholar, is seeking to be the county’s second governor. He was Agriculture Principal Secretary before he resigned in February to contest for the post. He is a professor in the Department of Botany at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. He has a PhD in Biology from Universität Konstanz in Germany and had a post-doctoral stint at Max Planck Institute. 

Tharaka-Nithi Senator, Prof Kithure Kindiki, is yet another law scholar who joined politics earlier and scaled up the ladder to hold senior positions in Parliament. Kindiki, a former Senate Majority Leader and Deputy Speaker, came second to Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua in the search for Kenya Kwanza’s running mate. The senator was a law lecturer at Moi University. 

He has promised to take a break after the August elections. Indications are that he might go back to academia.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya was a lecturer at the same university before quitting to begin a career in politics in 2002 as Tigania East MP. He was elected Meru governor in 2013 but lost to perennial rival Kiraitu Murungi in 2017. 

Prof Sam Ongeri, a  veteran scholar and surgeon, is seeking the Kisii governorship on DAP-K party.  In Migori, independent candidate Roby Okong’o has picked Dr Michael Owuondo, who is a don at the department of Geography at Moi University, to pair him. In Bomet, incumbent Governor Hillary Barchok, a former lecturer at Laikipia University, is seeking a second term. 

He initially served as deputy to Governor Joyce Laboso, before rising to the position in 2019 following her death. He has anchored his campaigns on improvement of education facilities in the county. 

In the same county, Senator Christopher Lang’at is seeking to recapture his seat as an independent candidate after losing in the UDA nominations. He lectured at Moi University before he was elected in 2017.