CS Mutahi Kagwe Urges Mount Kenya Voters to Prioritize Development Over Emotion-Driven Politics
Therefore, he encouraged the constituents to develop a culture of supporting and retaining those leaders who show determination in service delivery along with development.
Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe. Photo/Courtesy
By Ruth Sang
Service in Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Ministry Mutahi Kagwe has asked voters in the Mount Kenya region to make political choices with an eye for the long-term future, steering away from decisions motivated by emotions that would derail progress for many years to come.
In his remarks, Kagwe emphasized the interconnectedness of sustainable development vis-a-vis a stable and continuous leadership. He further stated, “Real growth takes time because it is only when qualified leaders are put in place for service that they can learn and implement the ideals of programs and projects they have initiated.” Frequent changes in leadership instigated by anger or frustration, according to the Cabinet Secretary, usually affect development programs and slow down progress in the community.
Kagwe warned against punishing lawmakers by using elections and warned that such a method might give reverse or negative results. He held that retiring leaders from the constituency, having neglected their development record, dented the political standing of that region and lowered its influence nationally. Therefore, he encouraged the constituents to develop a culture of supporting and retaining those leaders who show determination in service delivery along with development.
The Cabinet Secretary stated that regions that have achieved political and economic growth do so because they have long been investing in leadership. Such regions allow a leader to serve over a year, thus offering them time to build experience and strengthen political networks in their own regions. As much as leaders become influential in such long tenure, they bring in resources and development projects for the community. Lasting investments in leadership usually translate into material benefits, including better infrastructure, services, and economic opportunities for an area.
Said that continued change of leadership might render parts of the region politically divided and weaker in fighting for their interests. For Mount Kenya, Kagwe called people to reflect on how political longevity has helped other areas of the country consolidate political power, which could be used for development. He said cultivating leaders should grow them and help them better articulate the needs of their people at higher levels of the government.
Kagwe’s remarks come at a time when political activity has turned feverish in Mount Kenya, with leaders and parties getting into competition preparatory to the upcoming General Elections in 2027. The region has always been a key player in national politics, and once again, its political sphere is at the core of political debate; the discussions are shifting in intensity toward what direction voters should take in the coming years.
As election time begins to draw closer, the Cabinet Secretary urged that informed choices in terms of leadership value be made with regard to development, unity, and future benefits as opposed to short-lived, immediate emotions. According to him, it is such leadership choices that bring sustained growth and progress to the region, stressing that the decisions made at the ballot will shape Mount Kenya’s political and economic future for years to come.
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