Lumumba Urges Leaders to Put Kenya First
Lumumba urged leaders to channel their energies into agendas of constructing economic stability, improving service delivery
Lumumba lamented that Kenya's politics has in the past been weighed down by unnecessary political formations. Photo/Courtesy
By Juliet Jerotich
Celebrated attorney and governance scholar PLO Lumumba has slammed President William Ruto, ODM boss Raila Odinga, and other political leaders for failing to focus on the most urgent needs of Kenya.
Speaking in an interview with a local radio station on Monday, August 11, 2025, Lumumba claimed that the country’s political narrative is rapidly becoming irrelevant to the everyday miseries of ordinary people.
He particularly targeted Raila‘s recent call for a national conclave, asking if it was really necessary. Lumumba stated that such conclaves are unnecessary when all leaders have to do is obey the constitution and ensure respect for the rule of law.
“The same leaders we voted in to end our problems are the ones who are now calling for conclaves,” Lumumba stated.
“A conclave is a meeting of cardinals for the election of a pope. Kenya doesn’t need that. We need one thing — implement the constitution and obey the law. If that happens, we don’t need BBI, NADCO, or any conclave,” he added.
Lumumba lamented that Kenya’s politics has in the past been weighed down by unnecessary political formations. He declared that initiatives like BBI have consumed time, funds, and public attention without producing lasting change.
Instead, he proposed a simple national dialogue with a single agenda — halting the country from sliding deeper into crisis.
He also criticized the current political atmosphere, saying it is like a perpetual election period.
“When you read Kenyan newspapers today, you would imagine elections are only two weeks away,” he observed.
Lumumba urged leaders to channel their energies into agendas of constructing economic stability, improving service delivery, and safeguarding the well-being of citizens.
He added that such agendas would strengthen unity and recreate public trust in state institutions.
His comments are made as political temperatures rise ahead of the upcoming general election, with different interest groups advancing their own agendas.
Lumumba’s message strikes a chord with a growing public demand for leaders to return to constitutional values as the foundation of governance in Kenya.
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