Outspoken lawyer and political commentator Willis Otieno has called for a radical shift in Kenya’s leadership approach, urging the nation to move away from what he termed “managerial decline” and embrace bold, visionary leadership.
In a statement shared on Thursday, July 3, 2025, via his official X account, Otieno challenged current leaders to go beyond basic governance and instead focus on long-term, transformative change that reflects the needs and dreams of all citizens.
“Kenya doesn’t need another manager of decline. It needs a visionary, someone who sees beyond his term’s plans and short-term applause,” he stated.
Adding;
“We need a leader who dares to dream, but more importantly, dares to disrupt the comfortable lies we’ve lived with for too long.”
He criticised the duplicity of some leaders who pretend to support the people while maintaining close ties with those in power.
“Not someone who eats with the empire by day and weeps with the poor at night. But someone who breaks the table, builds a new one, and invites all to sit,” he said.
Otieno’s remarks echoed growing frustration across the country, especially among youth and civil society, who are demanding meaningful reforms and justice. He stressed that Kenya’s real hunger is not just about food, it is about the lack of moral and courageous leadership.
“This country is starving; not for food, but for integrity, courage, and imagination. Kenya needs a visionary. Not a boss. A builder,” he declared.
Brute force
His call comes just four days after he issued a warning to the government over its handling of nationwide protests. In a separate post on Sunday, June 29, Otieno accused the state of responding to public dissent with brute force, a move he said could push the country toward collapse.
“The state must never weaponise the police against its citizens. A regime that relies on batons and bullets to command obedience is not governing; it is merely delaying collapse,” he warned.
Otieno raised alarm over reports of police brutality, extrajudicial killings, and the increasing militarisation of civilian spaces, particularly during peaceful demonstrations. He reminded authorities that Kenya’s laws and its Constitution restrict the use of force.
“National security shall be pursued in compliance with the law and with the utmost respect for the rule of law, democracy, human rights, and fundamental freedoms,” he said.
He pointed to the National Police Service Act, 2011 (Revised 2023), specifically Section B(1) of the Sixth Schedule, which limits the use of firearms strictly to self-defence or when there is an imminent threat to life. He also emphasised that guns can only be used to stop a serious crime or arrest a dangerous suspect, and only as a last resort.
Otieno further urged police to follow the National Police Service (Use of Force) Standing Orders. These guidelines require that officers first try peaceful means, give clear warnings, assist injured people, and report any incident where firearms are used.
He also reminded the government that Kenya is bound by international laws, such as the United Nations Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials. These global standards limit the use of firearms to cases of self-defence or defence of others against an immediate threat.
“When the people withdraw their consent, not even an arsenal of guns can hold a regime together. It is not firepower that sustains a government; it is trust, justice, and the rule of law,” he said.
Adding;
“A government that rules through violence is not ruling at all. It is simply borrowing time from an inevitable reckoning.”
