Leaders have a lot to learn from UK power transition
The idea that Kenya can be compared to another country, and particularly our leadership, often does not sit well with most people. But how else would we learn and improve? How else would we know if we are progressing or retrogressing?
This week government has changed hands in the United Kingdom. Liz Truss elected only 44 days earlier resigned to King Charles III, and Rishi Sunak, the man she defeated in the contest for the highest office in the UK government was asked by the King to form a new administration.To say that the United Kingdom has been going through a rough patch lately is an understatement. It did not start yesterday. In fact, the challenges facing the UK today can be traced back to the premiership of David Cameron.
The then Prime Minister, while he did not have to, gave the British people a chance to vote on whether they wanted to stay on as part of the European Union or if they wanted out. They voted to leave persuaded by a campaign, it now appears, was based on a lot of falsehood. At the helm of that campaign was Boris Johnson. A former Brussels based journalist writing for the Daily Telegraph, Johnson had little regard for the European Union. He would later be accused of having little regard for truth.
The campaign he led promised minimal tariffs in the UK trade with the European Union, control of the UK, reduced immigration, increased funding for the health service with the annual subscription fee to the EU directed to this national treasure. He promised that the UK Union will be stronger. Well, none of these promises has panned out.
Instead, UK has been embroiled in one crisis after another eventually made worse by Russia declaring war on Ukraine. The divorce from the European Union became loud and noisy, and took forever to happen, and since then Teressa May, Johnson and now Truss have tried to steer the ship of government and all being swept out of office by the wave.
The government of Truss was probably the worst hit. It came to power on the promise of stirring economic growth but to no avail. Instead, the pound came tumbling down and the Central Bank had to scramble to save it.
Now there is restlessness in the Kingdom. Scotland has already set out a date for a referendum to leave the Union and it is anybody’s guess which part of the UK will follow their example. If an incoming leader should complain of the mess he has inherited then that leader is Rishi Sunak.
But listen to his inaugural speech. The youngest prime minister the UK has had in over two centuries, the first of Indian origin and one who had fallen out with his immediate successors was all grace.
It is Sunak’s resignation from the Johnson government that was the final nail on Johnson’s administration. Granted, Johnson’s administration had descended to one of comedy of errors.
But Sunak was all grace applauding the successes of Johnson’s administration.
Sunak had a bruising campaign against Truss and was categorical that Truss’ policies would take the country nowhere. But he graciously acknowledged her in his inaugural speech even if he pointed out that mistakes were made.
Back at home, we seldom lose opportunity to pillory our predecessors. Our new administration hardly acknowledges their predecessors’ achievements, and the opposition is evidently treated with disdain.
It is no wonder that transition of power is often viewed with trepidation in the South. Those who come to the office seldom tire of taunting their opponents in a manner often reminiscent of school yard theatrics. It is not a practice that we should be proud of and in this, we only set an example that others would want to run away from.
It is a culture that Kenyan leadership would do well to discard and be humble in victory. The losers are only human with emotions. Acting magnanimous does not take away from our victory but rather contributes to national healing and speaks to our maturity. In this, we may still have a lot to learn from our colonial powers.
— The writer is the dean, School of Communication, Daystar University
