The values in these religions and in our cultural traditions do not
differ much as far as political responsibility is concerned. For exam-
ple, we know well that according to our traditions, our lives revolve
around living as a community and therefore most of the resources
should be distributed among and within the community. Though tra-
ditionally there were rich and poor people, the survival burden was
shouldered by the community as a whole. The abnormal gap between
the rich and the poor came with colonial domination and imperial
rule. The insatiable greed among the leaders can never be a model to
be followed. The conduct of some leaders in public has been far below
the expectations of ordinary people. Some leaders are not ashamed to
be captured by television cameras while quarrelling and fighting.
f) Stewardship : Responsible political leaders are expected to exer-
cise proper stewardship or good management of resources. In this case
we are concerned in matters of the environment. Responsible leaders
should be in the forefront of protecting the forests and the wetlands
of this country. Such a focus would be an indication that they are
thinking about the future of the country. There seems not to be a
policy on water harvesting. When the rains come all the waters flow
to the lakes and the Indian Ocean. Yet later on we cry that there is no
water. Stewardship and being visionary go hand in hand. Industries
and infrastructure in this country are dilapidated because of bad man-
agement and lack of responsible political leadership, which could pro-
vide proper supervision in preservation and conservation of
resources. Politics of patronage and nepotism have destroyed work
ethics. The policy of merit and competence is no longer respected.
Jobs and promotions tend to be given through patronage rather than
on professional merit and competence. There are many qualified
young people who cannot get employment because of tribalism, nepo-
tism and corruption.
g) Succession : Political leadership that is responsible will train
other leaders who will take over on expiry of mandatory and con-
tractual terms. Moses prepared people like Joshua and Caleb. He
involved them in leadership roles to prepare them for future respon-
sibilities. It is only visionary leadership that would undertake such
preparatory training. The youth of this country have been taken for
granted for long. This is not consistent with our cultural and religious
traditions, which always provided for succession in leadership.
h) Rewards and Awards : It is important to recognise those who
are achievers in the country (heroes and heroines). However that has
not been the case. We have many Kenyans who have excelled in vari-
ous fields, in athletics and sports as well as in business. There are also
270 Responsible Leadership : Global Perspectives