LIVE EVENT · NAIROBI
Kenya Institute of Social Sophists
Friday, 30 October 2026 at 17:00Ends Friday, 30 October 2026 at 20:00 (EAT)
Santuri East AfricaThe Mall, Waiyaki, Nairobi, Kenya
Powers, Perils and Promises of the Executive The Tension Between Banking on Benevolence & Betting on Redundancy Every five years, Kenyans entrust someone with the highest elected office in the country. But what exactly are we entrusting them with, and what happens if they fail us? As Kenya approaches the 2027 general election, this presentation examines executive power through William Ruto's presidency and comparisons with Donald Trump's America, Britain's revolving door of prime ministers and Israel's coalition politics. Paul Kagame's Rwanda and Singapore under Lee Kuan Yew offer further perspectives. Therein lies a fundamental tension: banking on benevolence and betting on redundancy. Can we trust our leaders to exercise power responsibly while building institutions capable of restraining their excesses and correcting their failures? How do we prevent abuses without making effective government impossible? This is a conversation about what our votes authorise, what our Constitution protects, and what citizenship demands beyond the ballot. As 2027 approaches, what should Kenyans expect of their leaders, their institutions and themselves?