Why Kenyans believe Uhuru did his best in 2019

“When you are content to be simply yourself and don't compare or compete, everybody will respect you,” Laozi, the ancient Chinese philosopher and writer once wrote.

In Kenya, we have a lot of politicians, governors and other public servants who are always competing with each other.

They are always looking at the next job, to move higher and higher, to gain more power. Rarely for the good of the country, but mostly for their own personal and political agenda.

Citizens can usually smell the difference between someone who is out for themselves and those who are looking out for the best interests of the country. We have had many selfish politicians.

Recently some high-level politicians have fallen foul of the war on corruption.

There is a thin line between looking after your own interests in a thirst for power, and those whose hands spend too much time illicitly in the public purse.

There are politicians who give maximum effort in their jobs and the highest respect to their office. That is why there is so much respect for President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Not everyone thinks he is doing a great job and some people have criticised the Head of State.

That is possibly the reason that in an end of year poll, President Kenyatta was considered the most admired person in Kenya.

The president polled twice as much as the next most popular figures, Deputy President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, according to a survey by Tifa, a market research company.

In American politics, particularly during campaigns, there is something called the Beer Test. Basically, it is the idea is that it is easier to vote for someone that you can relate to and even see yourself hanging out and having a beer with.

The “Which candidate would you rather have a beer with?” question is at the intersection between personality and politics.

While many people do not really understand the distinction between different candidates’ policies or who has a more robust fiscal plan to reboot the economy, there is a visceral attraction to someone who is more likeable.

Our president speaks directly to the people. Every speech he gives talks about how the people can be more involved in shaping Kenya’s future.

The Building Bridges Initiative is unprecedented in our history, not just because of the concept behind reaching out to others, but because it is a people driven process.

Kenyans responded favourably when they met the BBI team.