Poor leadership, weak institutions and too little cooperation between sectors are holding back Kenya's development, academic experts warned at the 2026 Post Global Leadership Summit in Nairobi. They called for governance reforms and stronger accountability, The Eastleigh Voice reported on Friday. Only then, they said, can national ambitions turn into real gains for the public.
The warnings come as new World Bank estimates put a price on the problem. The lender's November 2026 Kenya Economic Update says tackling governance challenges could raise Kenya's gross domestic product (GDP) by up to 20% by 2035. It estimates that corruption and collusion cost the economy about 2% of GDP.
Public trust is also falling. The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer found that only 38% of Kenyans trust their government to do what is right. That is four percentage points lower than the year before.
Summit participants put governance at the centre of Kenya's development agenda. They argued that economic growth alone cannot improve livelihoods. It also takes responsible leadership, effective institutions and cooperation between government, businesses and other stakeholders, they said.
Pan Africa Christian University Vice-Chancellor Dionysious Kiambi said Kenya's future depends on more than the people in senior public posts. "Kenya's leadership future cannot be determined by those who occupy positions of authority alone. It will depend on the quality of our institutions, the values that guide our decisions, and our ability to work together across different sectors and interests," he said.
Kiambi added that leadership should be measured by the difference it makes for people. He said universities must produce leaders who can strengthen public institutions and serve society beyond their own careers.
The summit's theme was "Powering Kenya's Leadership Future: People, Collaboration and Politics". It built on an earlier meeting held in March. This time the focus shifted to turning responsible leadership principles into joint action and measurable development results.