Article Proofed -- Ready To Publish! Click For Larger Image.Even though the 27th of August, 2010 was a day when Kenya begun its journey to the unknown destination under a new constitution, a new era can only really take hold if the era where a dozen or so political dynasties control Kenyan politics is finally put to a stop. In as much as members of those political dynasties have a right to seek elective positions as Kenyan’s Chief Executive (CEO), it is really up to the Kenyan voters themselves to decide whether or not they want their children to grow up knowing that one does not have to be wealthy or belong to a ruling dynasty to raise to the position of Kenyan CEO.

The new constitution and its accompanying set of legislations require fostering. Kenya therefore needs a leader who will provide the environment for the new constitutional institutions to thrive and be able to demonstrate their envisaged independence. That is why it will be disastrous to elect a CEO who exhibit the ' big man' mentalities characterised by constant contempt of the laws of the land or its institutions. One such institution, which is to be central in the next general elections, is the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) which is required to vet any candidate for Presidential elections among other roles. If any potential CEO were to rubbish an order barring them from contesting the 2013 general elections, that could again lead to a return to the 2008 post election anarchy.

The next president must also be willing and able to defeat the demons of tribalism in Kenya. This can only happen if the fight against tribalism is at the core of the candidate's points of action and its party's manifesto. To achieve that, anyone who is perceived to be a tribal king would be the least suitable of the candidates, which means that such tribal leaders from the Kikuyu, Kalenjin, Luo and Kamba tribes among others would not be the most suitable candidate. The appropriate person must be a uniter and not a divider and someone who doest not constantly make careless statement meant to ridicule other people or tribes.

But nobody can ignore the fact that Kenya has tribes, whose diversity is an asset to be proud of. For anyone who may find it difficult to appreciate the value of the tribes in the political system of Kenya, one could take examples from United Kingdom or the United States. UK has five broad tribes; Welsh, Irish, English, Scottish and Immigrants. United States has several; Asian American, African American, Cuban American, Americans, etc. In both UK and USA, it would not matter what tribe you belong to when seeking for services or employment because their constitution and legal systems provide protection against any forms of discrimination. With the passage of the new constitution, it is up to the emerging administrators of the law to ensure that no Kenyan is favoured on the basis of their tribe which is what the dear people of Kenya call tribalism. If Kenya therefore manages to maintain an effective legal system, protected by strong institutions and leaders who do not show contempt of their courts, then all tribes will have equal access to goods and services and it would not matter which tribe then produces the CEO.

Unless any of the newly registered political parties change the circumstances, none of Kenya's previously registered political parties had any acknowledgeable distinct ideological identity. For instance, the newly launched Party of Action’s symbol of a cell phone is a bold statement signifying their intention to embrace modern technology and industry. This is significant because to fight corruption, which is without doubt Kenya's most destructive beast, the next CEO must place extensive use of modern technology at the centre of its government’s goals. Broad use of Cameras at work place, coupled with universal use of open flooroffice designs, could reduce corruption radically. The national anti-corruption agency could then monitor the cameras and store any recordings made to aid any possible prosecutions. The use of tested and certifiedcomputer software such as asset management software could also be key to fighting corruption at work place, and also creating efficiency and transparency in the process. While in Kenya registration of a company is a months’ long messy process, it only takes a click of a mouse to register a company in United Kingdom.

The emerging Kenya requires a leader with the right motivation for the job – creating prosperity for and uniting all Kenyan tribes. The leader must be innovative enough to run the country like a business enterprise free of any political activism. Based on the above assessment of the available pool of 2013 presidential candidates, Raphael Tuju would be the man to watch. It is he who can ensure that the journey we stated on August of 2010 leads to prosperity and not national decline.