Social rights and human justice Activist Wanjira Wanjiru has raised concern over what she terms a growing accountability crisis in Kenya, blaming weak leadership across key sectors for the breakdown of responsibility and enforcement of public systems.

Speaking during an interview on K24 TV on Friday, May 28, 2026, Wanjiru said accountability in the country is being eroded from the top, warning that leadership failure inevitably spreads to all levels of governance and public service delivery.

“The issue of accountability in our country is across the board. When the leadership is not accountable, the issue will trickle down to every other layer of leadership,” she stated.

She cited multiple sectors, including road safety, education and public administration, arguing that lack of enforcement and weak leadership structures have allowed negligence to persist unchecked.

She further pointed to the education sector, questioning the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), which she said has been marked by confusion, weak policy enforcement and lack of clear leadership direction.

“In education, we’ve been seeing negligence over and over again, and no one is held accountable. Since the CBC, there has been confusion going on in that ministry. There is not enough leadership and policies that are enforceable,” she added.

Leadership crisis blamed for urban decline

Her remarks come amid similar concerns raised by former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who has accused the government of poor leadership that he says has contributed to the decline of Nairobi City.

Gachagua argued that weak governance has turned the capital into a poorly managed urban centre, despite its regional and global significance.

“Nairobi stands tall in the world as a city of great reputation, but the misdeeds of a poor national government have turned the city into a stench,” he said.

Growing pressure for accountability reforms

The parallel concerns from activists and political leaders point to increasing public pressure on leadership structures to strengthen accountability mechanisms across institutions.

Analysts say the recurring blame on leadership reflects deeper governance challenges that continue to affect service delivery, public trust and institutional performance across the country.