By JOHN KIMANI
Every election in Kenya is a season of hope. Campaign rallies echo with promises of jobs, affordable food, better healthcare, and reforms in education. Citizens queue at polling stations with faith that their vote will usher in a new dawn.
Yet, months after the ballot dust settles, frustration often replaces optimism. Leaders are accused of failing to deliver, while citizens are criticized for expecting miracles overnight. This tension raises a troubling question:do Kenyans expect too much from leaders after electing them, or do leaders simply overpromise?
Mary, a single mother in Nairobi, remembers the excitement of the 2022 campaigns. She believed President William Ruto’s pledge to lower the cost of living would mean cheaper food for her family. “I thought unga would be affordable again,” she says, sitting in her small kitchen. “But today, I skip meals so my children can eat. I don’t know if I expected too much, or if they promised too much.”
In Tharaka‑Nithi, James, a fresh graduate, believed President William Ruto’s promise to create jobs for the youth. He imagined walking into interviews with confidence, securing a position, and supporting his family.
Months later, he still walks the dusty streets with his CV, rejected at every turn. “I believed in the hustler nation,” he says. “But I’m still hustling, and nothing has changed.” For James, unemployment is not just an economic issue. It is a broken dream.
Amina, a teacher in Machakos, hoped the Competency‑Based Curriculum confusion would be resolved. She believed reforms would bring clarity and better learning for her students.
Instead, she spends evenings trying to explain unclear guidelines to parents. “We thought things would get better,” she says, “but the confusion only deepened.”
Her biggest challenge now is the uncertainty around Grade 10 teaching. “We don’t even know how to prepare properly for Grade 10,” she admits. “The system is confusing us as teachers, and it confuses the parents too.”
Her frustration is not about policy papers. It is about children sitting in classrooms, waiting for a system that works.
In Kisumu, Peter, a boda boda rider, believed healthcare reforms would mean affordable treatment for his sick mother. He imagined walking into a hospital and finding medicine, doctors, and dignity.
Instead, he watched her struggle in an underfunded facility. “We were told healthcare would be fixed. We are still waiting,” he says quietly. Then he adds with frustration: "This new Social Health Authority (SHA) is not working. It was supposed to help us, but nothing has changed.”
These stories echo across Kenya. Citizens who once cheered campaign promises now question whether their expectations were misplaced or whether leaders knowingly raised hopes beyond what was achievable.
The rejection of the Finance Bill was not just about taxes. It was a cry of disappointment. Cabinet reshuffles were not just political maneuvers. They were attempts to restore public trust. And as 2027 approaches, the question of Ruto’s re‑election hangs in the air, shaped not by manifestos but by lived experiences.
Some argue that Kenyans expect instant change. Campaign promises are interpreted as immediate solutions, yet governance is a slow process constrained by budgets, bureaucracy, and global economic forces.
Reducing the cost of living requires structural reforms that cannot happen overnight. Fixing education or healthcare involves years of planning and investment. From this angle, citizens may indeed expect too much, mistaking political pledges for quick .
Others argue that leaders deliberately raise expectations during campaigns. Manifestos are filled with ambitious pledges designed to win votes, even when they know delivery will be difficult.
Ruto’s government illustrates this tension. The “hustler nation” narrative promised rapid transformation, yet the realities of debt, inflation, and global economic pressures have slowed progress. Critics argue that leaders should be more honest about what can realistically be achieved within five years.
Behind every policy failure is a human story. Mary’s skipped meals, James’s rejected CV, Amina’s confused classroom and Peter’s hospital struggle. These are not statistics. They are the heartbeat of a nation caught between hope and disappointment.
When promises are broken, it is not just trust that erodes,it is dignity, opportunity, and daily survival.
The experience under Ruto’s administration shows that leaders must avoid overpromising and ground their manifestos in achievable goals, while citizens must understand that governance is gradual and quick fixes are rare. At the same time, Kenyans should demand transparency in how promises are implemented, and recognize that development is not only about leaders but also about citizen participation; from paying taxes to supporting reforms. Only through honesty on both sides can the cycle of hopelessness and disappointment be broken.
So, do Kenyans expect too much from leaders after electing them? Perhaps. But it is equally true that leaders often promise too much. The gap between expectation and reality is where frustration grows.
As Kenya looks toward the 2027 elections, both citizens and leaders must recalibrate. Citizens should demand substance over slogans, and leaders should pledge only what they can deliver. The ballot is not a magic wand,it is a tool for accountability.
Ultimately, the question is not whether Kenyans expect too much, but whether leaders and citizens can meet halfway ,balancing hope with realism, promises with delivery, and expectations with patience. Only then can democracy fulfill its promise of genuine change.
The Writer is a Student in Chuka University
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