As the leader of the Green Think­ing Action Par­ty, the most pow­er­ful and influ­en­tial Green par­ty in Kenya and the region, I watched the past two days unfold with immense hope. Our par­ty is not just anoth­er polit­i­cal out­fit — it is the nation’s con­science, the voice that speaks when oth­ers hes­i­tate, and the vision that sees beyond the next elec­tion. We do not chase pow­er; we cham­pi­on lead­er­ship that pro­tects the land, empow­ers peo­ple, and secures a sus­tain­able future. Had Kenya embraced Green Think­ing ear­li­er, this Ruto – Raila alliance would have been formed imme­di­ate­ly after the 2022 elections.

Because one truth stands above all: a nation can nev­er be tru­ly unit­ed unless its lead­ers are unit­ed for a com­mon purpose.

Kenya has endured years of polit­i­cal rival­ries esca­lat­ing into crises, with eco­nom­ic hard­ship, eth­nic divi­sions, and pol­i­cy stag­na­tion as col­lat­er­al dam­age. The hand­shake is not just a polit­i­cal event but a reck­on­ing moment. Indi­vid­u­als may win elec­tions, but nations are built through col­lec­tive lead­er­ship. The Kam­ba say, “Vatakomwa vakomeawa kutu­ka,” mean­ing, when the night catch­es up with you, you sleep wher­ev­er you find your­self. Kenya’s polit­i­cal class has arrived at a defin­ing mid­night hour — where self-inter­est must give way to nation­al interest.

First, polit­i­cal sta­bil­i­ty is essen­tial for eco­nom­ic pros­per­i­ty. Kenya’s major chal­lenges — ris­ing infla­tion, unem­ploy­ment, and high liv­ing costs — can­not be resolved in an envi­ron­ment of con­tin­u­ous polit­i­cal con­flict. Investors require con­fi­dence, busi­ness­es need sta­bil­i­ty, and cit­i­zens need poli­cies that deliv­er results. If guid­ed by nation­al inter­est, the Ruto-Raila pact can pro­vide the sta­bil­i­ty nec­es­sary for eco­nom­ic revival. This is not about pow­er-shar­ing but about burden-sharing.

Sec­ond, uni­ty must be demon­strat­ed, not just declared. For too long, elec­tions have been eth­nic bat­tles rather than demo­c­ra­t­ic con­tests. This alliance must break that cycle — but only if it pri­or­i­tizes inclu­siv­i­ty, jus­tice, and ser­vice to the peo­ple. Kenyans must see this as a trans­for­ma­tive vision, not just anoth­er short-lived polit­i­cal deal.

Third, Kenya must uphold democ­ra­cy in both law and prac­tice. Pres­i­dent Ruto must allow free and fair com­pe­ti­tion in 2027, just as he once cam­paigned to lead. The bal­lot box — not polit­i­cal schem­ing — remains the only legit­i­mate path to pow­er. Those aspir­ing for lead­er­ship must also respect that democ­ra­cy has no short­cuts or arti­fi­cial crises. The next elec­tion is in 2027, not before.

Impor­tant­ly, the respon­si­bil­i­ty for suc­cess does not rest sole­ly on Ruto and Raila. It is shared across three key groups.

First, the polit­i­cal class — gov­ern­ment and oppo­si­tion alike — must act with integri­ty. Cab­i­net mem­bers, advi­sors, and insid­ers must put nation­al inter­ests above per­son­al ambi­tions. Those side­lined must remem­ber that pow­er is nev­er owned, only bor­rowed. Los­ing influ­ence today does not jus­ti­fy desta­bi­liz­ing the coun­try. Patience and resilience, not reck­less dis­rup­tion, define true leadership.

Sec­ond, Kenyans must stay engaged and demand bet­ter lead­er­ship. Peo­ple, not just lead­ers, build nations. Unre­spon­sive­ness hands pow­er to those who may not serve the pub­lic’s best inter­ests. Every cit­i­zen must hold lead­ers account­able, reject trib­al­ism, and ensure the polit­i­cal class pri­or­i­tizes nation­al needs.

Third, the inter­na­tion­al com­mu­ni­ty must respect Kenya’s sov­er­eign­ty. We are not a play­ground for exter­nal inter­ests. Devel­op­ment part­ners can sup­port anti-cor­rup­tion efforts, but with respect for Kenya’s dig­ni­ty and pri­or­i­ties. Instead of lec­tures and con­di­tions, they should dis­man­tle the glob­al net­works enabling Africa’s wealth loot­ing. Cor­rup­tion involves not only bribe givers and tak­ers, but also enablers. If the world tru­ly sup­ports Kenya, it must close avenues that allow cor­rupt mon­ey to evade accountability.

Uni­ty is not just a polit­i­cal agen­da but a God-giv­en duty. For this alliance to suc­ceed, it must rise above per­son­al ambi­tion and deliv­er real change. True lead­er­ship demands set­ting aside dif­fer­ences for the greater good. This is not about friend­ship; it is about Kenya.

The Ruto-Raila deal is a defin­ing test of polit­i­cal matu­ri­ty. Nur­ture it, and Kenya thrives. Desta­bi­lize it, and his­to­ry will be unfor­giv­ing. Think Green, Act Green!