Leadership and Governance Expert Duke Mainga Echate has stepped up his criticism of Kenya’s political environment, arguing that public debate has drifted away from practical solutions and turned into personal confrontation among leaders.
In a Radio Generation interview on Thursday, Echate said the country urgently needs leaders who prioritise key service delivery issues such as electricity reliability, employment creation, and easing the high cost of living, instead of political hostility.
He said campaigns should be anchored on ideas and development plans that directly respond to the needs of citizens, rather than attacks between competitors on the podium.
At the same time, Echate used the interview to explain his own political ambitions, saying he is preparing to contest an elective seat while promoting what he called a fresh approach to leadership.
“I want to go for an elective position,” he said, adding that, “we are here to say we also want a new term, a new generation, and a new style of doing things.”
He disclosed that he is targeting the Bomachoge Borabu Constituency parliamentary seat, saying his decision is driven by concerns over everyday struggles facing most Kenyans.
Echate said political competition in the country has been reduced to insults and rivalry, something he believes weakens serious national conversation.
“If there’s one thing that hurts me, it is when leaders go to podiums and they are calling each other names,” he said. “We should be campaigning on issues and agenda.”
He insisted that leaders must redirect their energy to solving core economic and social problems, especially those affecting households across the country.
“We need to fix issues about electricity and other issues affecting Kenyans,” he noted, saying governance should be judged by service delivery rather than rhetoric.
The governance expert also drew comparisons between Kenya’s electricity system and what he described as more stable supply in other countries.
He said a contact in the United States had gone nearly two decades with only a brief five-minute power interruption. “This country is blessed. We need to fix these issues,” he said, pointing to recurring blackouts and high electricity bills locally.
Echate also shared a personal experience in Nairobi, where he said a prolonged outage disrupted basic household tasks such as ironing, describing it as a sign of deeper system gaps.
He further pointed to a senior energy sector worker in Nairobi who had installed solar power at home despite working in electricity generation.
“He doesn’t even trust where he works and what he’s generating,” Echate said, suggesting that even insiders lack confidence in the system.
He argued that younger political actors should rethink their approach and focus on structured solutions rather than reactive politics.
“We, as young people, need to think out of the box and start addressing issues affecting Kenyans,” he said.
Echate added that political communication should focus on personal vision and competence instead of targeting opponents.
“The best way is just go ahead and tell people, you know what, I smell good, I have this and this and this qualification,” he said.
He warned that excessive focus on rivals can backfire politically, saying it may end up strengthening them instead of weakening them.
“The moment you keep on talking about your competitor, in a way you are empowering that competitor,” he affirmed.
He further called for clearer political messaging that allows voters to easily distinguish between competing agendas, noting that many citizens struggle to follow campaign promises.
Echate said Kenya’s leadership debate should revolve around practical outcomes such as job creation, stable electricity, and reduced living costs.
He maintained that the country needs leaders who can translate campaign promises into visible results, urging a return to trust-based and solution-oriented politics.