A Tale of two Kenyas: Stories of decay, excellence in same week

Nothing beats a well-investigated, foolproof, irrefutable, and well-told story—even in this age of information saturation. Amid the avalanche of reporting on the deadly June 25 protests, the Daily Nation's exclusive July 4 story on the ongoing construction of a Sh1.2 billion church within the grounds of State House stood out as a timely and impactful piece of journalism. 

It was a powerful reminder of the media’s enduring role in shaping public debate and steering national discourse.

This story underscored the critical role of independent journalism in holding up a mirror to society and offering fresh, verifiable information that prompts public scrutiny. 

It ignited necessary conversations on national institutions, the use and symbolism of public spaces, and the increasingly blurred line between State and religion, raising important questions about transparency, accountability, and constitutional values.

Yet, this interrogation must not end with State House. The same journalistic rigor must now be turned towards other public spaces and institutions across the country. 

How are these spaces managed, maintained, and perceived? What do their current conditions reveal about governance, civic responsibility, and the values we collectively uphold?

Public institutions are not abstract concepts — they are the physical and symbolic spaces where citizens interact with the State. They include police stations, government offices, health facilities, markets, public schools, and housing estates. 

Transparency and accountability

However, many of these places are in a state of disrepair, reflecting long-standing neglect and a worrying normalisation of decay.

Consider some police stations, where even the offices are marked by a pungent odour, dilapidated furniture, and unkempt compounds. One can only imagine the condition of the holding cells, where suspects — many not yet charged — are detained for days or even weeks.

This neglect is systemic. Government offices, parastatal buildings, roads, public toilets, and marketplaces all bear the marks of abandonment. It is not merely about aesthetics; the state of these facilities affects service delivery, citizen dignity, and public trust.

Even government housing tells a deeper story. Many civil servants' quarters and staff estates have not been painted or repaired for decades. Passed down across generations of tenants, they bear the unmistakable signs of public apathy. 

The logic is simple yet deeply problematic: “It’s public property — why bother?” Yet, as soon as these houses are privatised and sold to individuals, they are quickly renovated, revealing the transformative power of ownership and accountability.

The Daily Nation’s exposé was a powerful reminder of the media’s capacity to spark national reflection on how we treat public spaces and institutions. It offered more than a story — it posed hard questions about transparency, accountability, and the symbolic use of national property. 

But just as the media must expose neglect and excess, it must also celebrate excellence and hope. The stories we tell about ourselves — both the uncomfortable and the inspiring — are what shape our national consciousness.

Kipyegon and Chebet’s victories

In the same week that Kenyans questioned the use of public land and the decay of shared institutions, they also celebrated Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet's historic triumphs on the global stage. 

While Daily Nation's exposé on the Sh1.2 billion church project at State House sparked urgent debates on accountability, transparency, and the condition of public spaces, the Diamond League in Oregon provided a completely different headline — one of pride, perseverance, and possibility.

These two stories reveal the duality of Kenya today. On one side is a troubling image of public institutions, on the other is the inspirational vision of athletes who, without fanfare or favour, rose to global excellence through sheer discipline and talent. Kipyegon and Chebet reminded the world — and Kenyans themselves — that greatness is still possible in a nation battered by disillusionment.

There are moments when individuals speak louder for a country than its institutions or leaders. Kipyegon and Chebet’s victories were such moments. 

Their achievements shifted the narrative, if only briefly, from chaos to hope — from what is going wrong to what can still go right. Their stories, amplified by the media, portrayed a Kenya defined not by crisis but by resilience and excellence.

And that, too, is the role of journalism: not only to expose the rot but to spotlight the good. By investigating public spaces, the media presses for reform; by celebrating achievement, it inspires a vision of what we might become. Nation-building, after all, requires both pressure and praise, vigilance and vision.

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