How public trust in leaders can weaken accountability

Public trust in political leaders can weaken accountability, with research across 37 African countries linking confidence in presidents and ruling parties to weaker support for oversight.

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, while presiding over the second day of the Global Trust Summit in Nairobi on Thursday, October 22, called for institutions to demonstrate integrity, deliver results and remain open to public scrutiny.

“When a society loses the trust of its people, it risks losing the very foundation upon which its institutions, prosperity and common future depend,” Mudavadi warned.

He argued that institutions should earn public confidence through their conduct rather than demand unquestioning loyalty.

“The strongest institutions are not those that ask people to trust them blindly, but those that inspire confidence through their conduct while remaining transparent, answerable and open to scrutiny,” he noted.

Mudavadi also pointed to declining public confidence in science, citing the Wellcome Global Monitor 2026, which found that the proportion of people who believed most people in their country benefited from science fell from 42 per cent in 2018 to 37 per cent in 2025.

He explained that scientific institutions needed to make evidence accessible, communicate uncertainty openly and demonstrate how scientific advances improved people's lives.

The Prime Cabinet Secretary described trust as an economic asset that supports business and cooperation, arguing that contracts and legal safeguards alone could not replace integrity and a reputation for keeping promises.

“Trust is also economic infrastructure,” he observed, adding that societies risk prioritising transactions and profits over ethical conduct when results matter more than the means used to achieve them.

Mudavadi called for reforms to international institutions, saying their legitimacy depended on fair representation, accountability and their ability to respond to challenges such as climate change, public health, security, trade and technological change.

He singled out Africa's lack of a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, arguing that the continent should have a direct role in decisions affecting its security and future.

Permanent African representation, in line with the African Union's Common African Position, would strengthen the United Nations' standing among African citizens, he added.

Mudavadi urged summit participants to move beyond declarations and establish a practical framework for rebuilding trust, with clear commitments, a coalition responsible for implementation and a mechanism to track progress.

“It is my wish that Nairobi be remembered not simply as the place where the world discussed trust, but as the place where we strengthened our resolve to become more trustworthy,” he said.

Tanzania's Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, James Millya, said Kenya and Tanzania had resolved 54 of the 68 non-tariff barriers identified between them, leaving 14 outstanding.

The unresolved barriers continue to expose traders to repeated inspections, delays and unexpected charges at border points despite the two countries sharing a customs union and common market.

“The last fourteen are where trust is won or lost,” Millya observed.

He cited bilateral agreements signed in May 2026 that included common standards to prevent repeat inspections of certified goods at Namanga and Holili, a 30-day period for resolving disputes and quarterly reports on implementation.

Tanzania had also removed its Industrial Development Levy on a range of Kenyan goods, he noted.

However, bilateral trade fell from about $950 million in 2024 to $860 million in 2025, according to Millya, who also acknowledged that traders lacked a clear channel for resolving complaints.

He argued that the two governments needed to turn their agreements into practical improvements, including faster clearance of goods, fewer repeat inspections and timely resolution of disputes.

Tanzania would designate a focal point to follow up trade complaints with Kenya within the agreed 30-day period. Millya also proposed regular consultations involving traders, truck drivers, women and young traders operating at Namanga and Holili.

He cautioned that the measures should be judged by whether they resolved complaints and improved conditions for traders, rather than by the signing of agreements alone.

Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing’Oei described trust as an essential foundation for effective institutions, social cohesion and international cooperation.

“Where trust is present, institutions are more effective, public confidence grows, agreements hold and cooperation endures,” he said, adding,  “Where trust is lost, the social contract upon which societies depend disintegrates.”

Sing’Oei called for transparency, inclusive decision-making, accountability for results and consistency between words and actions in addressing domestic, regional and international challenges.

He added that the rules-based international order could maintain its legitimacy only if countries respected its rules, institutions remained representative and collective action produced results.

The Global Trust Summit runs in Nairobi from October 21 to 23, bringing together public-sector leaders and other stakeholders to discuss trust in governance, resilient societies, inclusive economies and international cooperation.