When development becomes seasonal, it ceases to be strategic. Communities begin to receive attention only when their votes are needed.
Commissioning of a School Gate
As elections draw near, a familiar political script begins to unfold across the country. School gates, playing fields, bursary disbursement, and newly constructed classrooms get commissioned, water projects are launched, roads are inspected, and leaders suddenly become highly visible in their constituencies. While such activities are not inherently negative, their timing is what raises legitimate questions about the country's priorities.
A post by the current Member of Parliament for Kipkelion East, Hon. Joseph Cherorot, illustrates this pattern. The legislator highlighted an event at Londiani Boys High School, where education permanent secretary Ambasador Julius Bitok presided over the commissioning of a newly constructed school gate. The PS further inspected the infrastructure and academic progress. On the surface, the ceremony, which was attended by Beatric Kemei and Julius Ruto appears commendable however, the broader issue lies in the political hypocrisy as the country heads toward the 2027 election.
Symbolic Development
Commissioning a school gate, while symbolically important, is not synonymous with systematic educational reform. A gate does not address shortages of teachers, delivery gaps in the curriculum, and equipment deficits in the laboratories. Politicians take advantage of the electorate as the cycle approaches. They often prioritize highly visible, low-complexity projects that are easy to package on social media and create the impression of development.
Development as a Political Cycle
This is a pattern that reciprocates what is happening in Kenya between the election cycles. The pattern reinforces a troubling cycle, reminiscent of every political cycle. After elections, there is minimal visibility between elections, then a sudden flurry of activities near campaigns. Heavy events are framed as major milestones, as the unfulfilled promises are renewed for more development after re-election.
Development ceases to be strategic when it becomes seasonal. It is only when these politicians need votes from communities that they receive attention. This is a strategy that has been used by politicians for a very long time, and it fosters dependency rather than empowerment among the voters. It further shifts focus from long-term planning to short-term political gain. If leaders truly aim to enhance learning environments, there should be continuous institutionally anchored progress, not event-driven.
The Voter's Responsibility
Citizens must be aware of ceremonial visibility and substantive governance. A newly commissioned gate should prompt serious questions. Questions on what the constituency development fund (CDF) has done on education, how many classrooms have been built, and the general infrastructural development in the constituency should be asked. Elections should not be moments when politicians suddenly remember schools, hospitals, and roads, but accountability checkpoints assessing what has been done consistently over five years.
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