WANJAWA: Let Kenyans choose wisely in 2025

As Kenya embarks on a pivotal year, columnist Edwin Wanjawa calls on the nation to make wise decisions amid economic and political challenges. Writing in the January 5 2025 edition of The Star, he highlights how the youth — especially millennials and Generation Z, who make up much of the workforce and electorate — are caught in a tightening grip of inflation, high cost of living and stagnant wages.
Wanjawa notes that while the country’s political scene is marked by broad alliances, many ordinary citizens feel the promise of prosperity remains distant.
The columnist dissects deeper issues behind these symptoms: over-burdened county and national institutions, rising public debt, corruption, weakened oversight bodies and strained fundamental rights. From the devolved units where funds are allegedly channelled into the wrong hands, to the national anti-corruption and judicial systems which appear under pressure, Wanjawa argues that meaningful change must come via robust civic participation and vigilant leadership.
He also warns of the ticking time bomb in the form of discontented and unreached youth, stressing that the 2010 Constitution’s aspirations for social justice and equity will remain unfulfilled unless citizens hold their leaders to account.
Looking ahead, the piece makes clear that the year 2025 presents both a crossroads and an opportunity for Kenya. Whether the nation drifts into deeper inequality or strides toward renewal will depend on whether Kenyans choose to demand transparency, defend institutions, engage in governance and push for real-world action rather than rhetorical promises.
In effect, Wanjawa’s message is simple yet urgent: the power for change lies with the people — and how they choose will shape Kenya’s path toward the much-talked-about 2027 elections and beyond.