The executive director of the International Centre for Policy and Conflict (ICPC), Ndung’u Wainaina, has criticised Kenya’s continued obsession with ethnic identity politics, warning that it is undermining serious debate on the economy, production and geopolitics.
In a statement shared online, Wainaina said voters repeatedly prioritise ethnic belonging over policy substance, allowing politicians to evade accountability. “The disastrous mistake that Kenyans keep making is a complete obsession with identity and ethnic belonging politics while completely refusing to discuss production, economy and geopolitics,” he said.
Wainaina argued that this pattern has enabled poor leadership choices and recurring governance failures. “This is why politicians keep screwing up Kenyans year in year out, election after election,” he added.
His remarks come amid early political realignments ahead of the 2027 General Election, with politicians intensifying outreach to ethnic and regional voting blocs. Analysts note that discussions on economic productivity, regional security and Kenya’s global positioning remain secondary despite growing public anxiety over the cost of living, debt and unemployment.
Wainaina’s comments align with broader calls from policy experts and civil society groups urging a shift towards issue-based politics to prevent further economic and political setbacks.
