Kigame declares presidential bid anchored on ethical, character-driven leadership
Deputy Party Leader of the Justice and Freedom Party (JFP), Reuben Kigame, has officially declared his intention to run for president in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a local TV station on Monday, July 28, 2025, the gospel musician stated that his campaign is anchored on the principles of ethical and character-driven leadership.
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“I’m offering myself to run for president of Kenya on the platform of ethical and character-driven leadership. Without ethics and integrity, what is the purpose of leadership? What I want Kenyans to test me on is my consistency,” he stated.
Furthermore, Kigame emphasised that the crisis in Kenyan leadership is rooted in a deficit of moral character.
He said a majority of Kenyans, especially young people, are calling for leaders whose values match their words, noting that ethical leadership must be evaluated on two fronts: the moral conduct of leaders and the dignity their policies afford citizens.
“Ethical leadership has two dimensions. One is the moral spectrum, and the other is the policies the leadership is pursuing. You have to ask the question: Are those policies promoting dignity in the people or taking dignity away from the people? That is how you measure ethical leadership,” he added.
Reflecting on past political moments such as the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), Kigame recalled being a vocal opponent and instead advocating for Value-Based Leadership (VBL).
“There’s no way you can abuse the Constitution, violate the law, and still claim to be ethical. When we fail in values, we fail in everything,” he stated.
Leadership
He further called on citizens to move beyond lamenting about failed leadership and instead take responsibility for demanding accountability.
“We need to get to a point where there’s citizen responsibility; rather than blaming the leadership for duping the people, we should hold them accountable, not lament.”
Additionally, Kigame has criticised what he termed as the political class’s disdain for constitutionalism, noting that Kenya has a progressive constitution that leaders often undermine.
“We have a good constitution, but it is the challenge of constitutionalism that Kenya faces. The political class treats the constitution like it is an inconvenience. The fact of the matter is, the constitution is non-negotiable; it is final, regardless of whether one likes it or not.”
