Mwendwa, a more modern saying states that a nation will vote for leaders that represent the majority, hence a nation of average people vote for average leaders.

A reminder that our education system remains broken, with only a few benefitting from actual primary and high school education.

Many barely get through with some education, and about 200,000 of 800,000 - 1,000,000 are lost after KCPE (and poor Free Primary Education) to lack of High School slots.

It doesn't help the poor appreciate shiny projects and cash handouts than High Schools and Hospitals, whose benefits aren't apparent in the short term.

As for activists, the founder of the Institute of Economic Affairs, and the author of the Road to Serfdorm, wanted to fix politics by becoming a politician.

A university professor convinced him that that wouldn't work, and his best short was from outside parliament.

If he joined politics, he would behave like the average politician(happens in most countries). Proof locally is that despite many brilliant lawyers being Kenyan MPs, parliament still passes laws that contravene the Constitution and other laws.

So, the chap I'm referring to ended up forming the Institute of Economic Affairs, a think tank that is credited with shaping Margaret Thatcher.

If it weren't for Thatcher, Britain would not be the economic giant it is today. Having not suffered much from wars and recession, unlike Germany which is now Europe's largest economy, most lobbies and cartels had remained intact through the years, and were broken down by Thatcherism.

Countries rarely transform without massive shocks, like Kenya's post election violence and a new constitution that promotes technocratic state institutions rather than state institutions revolving around a powerful presidency ( who is under political pressure to tamper with state institutions).

Lobbies, Cartel, oligopolies and Unions cost a country much by encouraging a status quo of inefficiencies ( see taxi lobbies/unions vs Uber/other taxi apps).

Thus, to cut a long story short, the best shot for civil society remains outside government. They should leave politicking to politicians.

Secondly, Kenya badly needs to fix the gaps in "K1 - K12" education, otherwise the less educated will pull us down. More education means higher incomes which means more spenders which means larger economy.