KenyaOnAShoeString: Real Advice for Real Kenyans

When Mwai Kibaki swept into power in 2002 under the NARC coalition, Kenyans believed they were witnessing the end of an era — the closing of a dark chapter defined by Moi’s authoritarianism and entrenched corruption. The promise was clear: zero tolerance on corruption. The optimism was real. Kenya was ready to turn the page. And for a moment, it looked like we had. Kibaki’s administration took bold first steps — reviving key institutions, appointing reformists, and increasing transparency in public finance. But soon, familiar shadows crept back. The Anglo Leasing scandal broke, key whistleblowers were silenced, and the dream of a clean government dimmed. This is the story of a president who tried to fight corruption — and of the system that resisted, reshaped, and ultimately compromised that fight. The Reformist Promise Upon taking office, Kibaki created the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) and appointed respected legal mind Justice Aaron Ringera as its head. For the first time...

Every five years, Kenyans line up to vote. Some do so out of hope, others out of habit, and many out of resignation. We listen to speeches, wear campaign colors, chant slogans — and yet, we often know so little about the people we hand our future to. This isn’t just about ignorance. It’s about a missing culture of inquiry. Many Kenyans can name the latest scandal, meme, or insult traded between politicians. But ask what shaped our presidents — their upbringing, education, ideologies, patterns of power — and we draw blanks. We know of them, but we don’t know them . That’s not a small oversight. It’s a national vulnerability. Why This Series Matters Now We are in a crucial moment in Kenya’s story. The economy is fragile. Public trust is eroding. Youth unemployment is high. Tribal divisions linger. Corruption festers. And yet — the same types of leaders keep emerging. Why? Because we don’t truly scrutinize the roots of power. We focus on the surface: accents, slogans, tribe, party. But ...