In the dynamic landscape of Kenyan politics and amidst the fervent protests of the Gen Z against the controversial Finance Bill 2024, a budding bold leader has already thrown his hat in the ring. He may not be new in the political scene but Yahya Nene believes he is what the Gen Z would consider a breath of fresh air.
John Yahya Nene, a 40-year-old management expert born in Uriri Constituency, Migori County, is setting his sights on the presidency come 2027. He says he is committed and very realistic about his aspirations.
An alumni of Maseno School and Maseno University, Nene says he is passionate about good governance and transformational leadership – which he believes is a major deficiency in Kenya’s political arena. He says the suffering that Kenyans are going through is a result of poor leadership, which Kenyans have lived with for many years.
As a political strategist, Nene says he understands what Kenya needs and is ready to offer it through the Labour Party of Kenya (LPK). “I am a politician and I want to do politics and presidency is a political position. Secondly, I have been in politics longer and I have looked at why we are not developing as a country and I have solutions,” he says.
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John Yahya Nene is not your typical Kenyan politician, or so he says. He has an impressive background in management and political strategy – he has worked in different NGOs and and strategised for a number of politicians, some of them currently elected. His work in the corporate and NGO worlds, he says, has equipped him with the skills and knowledge to navigate the complex issues facing Kenya today.
According to Nene, one of the major hindrances to political goodwill in Kenya is political parties. “The number one problem is that we don’t have a political institution to guide development. Political parties in this country are just pocket parties that are created during elections by the person who wants to be president. If he gets the presidency serves his term, that party collapses,” Nene says.
At the heart of Nene’s 2027 presidential bid is a promise to uphold high standards of governance. In his world, transparency and accountability are key components of progressive and transformation leadership if Kenya is to achieve sustainable development and regain public trust.
The Gen Z Revolution
His aspirations for presidency comes at a time when the country is facing fervent protest from the younger generation, alias Gen Z, about high taxation and unemployment. What will Nene do differently if he became the president of Kenya?
“First of all, we have a lot of young people behind our back who are very political. Some of them have vied for member of county assembly positions, others governor while some are MPs now and they believe I can drive the national discourse through our party,” he explains.
“Secondly, we have singled out seven important key things that we need to do. One is to eradicate massive c********n in the public sector. Even now, people are rioting about the Finance Bill. But the r**t should be more about how that finance is managed,’’ he further narrates.
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One of the key aspects of his leadership would be his unwavering focus on youth empowerment. Nene sees Gen Z as the key to unlocking Kenya’s potential in governance and economic prosperity. He also wants to focus on job creation initiatives and quality education.
“We have to talk about improving quality education, to come up with a research-focused education system, not a theoretical education system, so that most of the solutions should be provided by our universities,” he says. “In Turkey, for example, they are using their own things. Almost all the vehicles running around that country are assembled in that country. Their education system is based on development of their country.”
It is clear that John Yahya Nene is a man on a mission, which is why he has started positioning himself as a young force ahead of 2027. The latest outrage from Kenya’s younger generation provides him and others with an opportunity to challenge the status quo and bring about change.
But he has a huge mountain to climb. “I was praying for a time when young people would come out and start talking about real issues and I think now they can identify with us,” he says. “Because we are coming out there to champion for real issues. The Gen Z of now do not care about tribe!”
