Residents of Nandi County are calling for better remuneration and improved working conditions for public servants in order to counter the growing attraction to elective positions.
They lamented that elective positions have become the most rewarding routes to economic security and social advancement.
Residents argued that competitive salaries and benefits for public servants would help restore the appeal of professional careers in government while reducing the perception that holding elective office is the surest path to financial prosperity and influence.
Teacher John Wangwe said the remuneration of public servants should reflect the responsibilities they carry and the skills required to deliver essential services to citizens.
According to the teacher, many professionals who enter public service after years of training can become increasingly frustrated when they compare their earnings and career progression with the perceived benefits associated with elective positions.
The teacher said improving pay and opportunities for promotion and professional development would encourage skilled workers to remain in their professions instead of abandoning them to pursue political careers.
Wangwe noted that the movement of experienced professionals from public institutions into politics deprives government departments and institutions of valuable expertise, particularly when the trend becomes widespread.
A businessman, Mark Rotich, said politics had gradually acquired the characteristics of a high-stakes contest because elective positions are viewed as offering substantial financial and social benefits.
He argued that the country should strive to create an environment where an individual can build a successful and dignified career without feeling compelled to seek elective office for economic advancement.
Rotich said well-remunerated public servants would be more likely to concentrate on service delivery, innovation, and professional excellence rather than viewing political office as an alternative career pathway.
Janet Chelimo, a grocer, said ordinary citizens ultimately bear the consequences when experienced government workers leave their professions in pursuit of political office.
She said government institutions require continuity, professionalism, and institutional memory, which can be weakened when trained personnel frequently leave their positions to seek elective office.
The grocer called for a broader national conversation on remuneration, saying public servants should be able to support their families and plan for their futures through legitimate professional careers.
A community leader, Jack Kipsang, stated that the country should also address the culture that associates political leadership with wealth, status, and access to opportunities.
He said leadership should primarily be viewed as a responsibility to serve the public rather than an avenue for personal enrichment.
Kipsang observed that making public service more attractive could help change the incentive structure surrounding politics and ensure that elections focus more on leadership, competence, integrity, and development agendas.
He said competent professionals should not have to leave government service en masse whenever election cycles approach.
The debate comes amid increasing political activity in the county, where public discussions about future elective contests have become more prominent.
Residents say political competition is healthy in a democracy, but it becomes problematic when elective office is perceived as the most lucrative destination for professionals.
They are calling for reforms that combine fair remuneration, merit-based promotion, professional development, and strong accountability mechanisms.
Such measures, they argue, would strengthen public institutions, retain experienced personnel and ensure that political contests are driven less by the material rewards attached to office and more by competing visions for socioeconomic transformation.
For them, the ultimate goal is not to discourage public servants from participating in democratic politics, but to ensure that entering politics remains a choice based on a desire to serve rather than an escape from poorly rewarded professional careers.
By Sammy Mwibanda
