Former Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) chairperson Macharia Njeru has urged Kenyans to demand higher standards from presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Njeru, who formally declared his presidential bid on October 5, said the presidency carries significant responsibility for the safety, security and wellbeing of millions of Kenyans and should therefore not be treated lightly.
The presidential hopeful said voters should establish what he described as an “irreducible minimum” when assessing candidates seeking the country’s highest office.
“There should be an irreducible minimum. We should be able to apply very high standards when it comes to leadership, particularly the top seat. Presidency is not something to joke around with,” Njeru said.
He cited challenges in the health and education sectors as some of the issues that should inform voters’ decisions, arguing that failures in public systems can have serious consequences for ordinary citizens.
Njeru pointed to shortages of essential medicines in hospitals, limited access to quality education and weaknesses in the public transport system, which he said contribute to preventable deaths.
He argued that decisions made by the person occupying the presidency can directly affect the lives and welfare of citizens.
“If a child cannot access a good education, if somebody lacks drugs in a hospital and dies of a preventable disease, or if people are dying in accidents due to a broken public transport system… any mistake made from the top seat can cost people’s lives,” he said.
Njeru also criticised what he described as the dominance of ethnic considerations and political bargaining in the country’s leadership debates.
He said political discussions have increasingly focused on tribal affiliations and sharing of government positions instead of examining the qualifications, values and policies that presidential candidates bring to the table.
“As a country, we have started talking about tribes and people sitting around a table dividing positions, rather than addressing the qualities required in a leader or what they bring to the table for ordinary Kenyans,” he said.
Njeru is seeking the presidency under the Mwongozo Mpya movement and said he will embark on nationwide campaigns to sell his leadership agenda ahead of the August 2027 election.
His declaration adds him to the growing list of politicians and public figures positioning themselves for the presidential race as parties and political movements begin laying the groundwork for the 2027 polls.
