Voters in Nandi County in Rift Valley are calling for better remuneration and improved working conditions for public servants as way of making politics less attractive.

The voters argued that better remuneration offers a better means of fighting runway graft in civil service and improve service delivery. The voter lamented that elective positions have become the most rewarding route to economic security and social advancement.

Residents, who included business community, teachers and other public servants, argued that competitive salaries and benefits would facilitate restoration of the appeal of professional careers in government by pushing back on the perception that holding elective office is the surest path to financial prosperity and influence.

John Wangwe, a teacher, observed that the remuneration of public servants should reflect the responsibilities they carry and the skills required to deliver essential services to citizens.

According to Mr Wangwe, many professionals who enter public service after years of training can become frustrated when they compare their earnings and career progression with the perceived benefits associated with elective positions.

The teacher said improving pay, opportunities for promotion and professional development would encourage skilled workers to remain in civil service instead of abandoning them to pursue political careers.

Wangwe noted that the movement of experienced professionals from public institutions to politics deprives government departments and institutions of valuable expertise, particularly when the trend becomes widespread.

Businessman Mark Rotich said politics had gradually acquired the characteristics of a high-stakes contest because elective positions are viewed as offering attractive financial and social rewards.

He argued that Kenya should strive to create an environment where an individual can build a successful and dignified career without feeling compelled to seek an elective office for economic advancement.

Rotich observed that well-remunerated public servants would be more likely to concentrate on service delivery, innovation and professional excellence than viewing political office as an alternative career pathway.

For Janet Chelimo, a grocer, ordinary citizens bear the consequences when experienced government workers switch from professions practice to politics. Ms Chelimo says government institutions require continuity, professionalism and institutional memory, which is often weakened when trained personnel quit 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 future through legitimate professional careers.

A community leader Jack Kipsang observed stated that the country should also address the culture that associates political leadership with wealth, status and access to opportunities. Mr Kipsang said leadership should primarily be viewed as a responsibility to serve the public rather than an avenue for personal enrichment.

He pointed out that making public service more attractive could help change the incentive structure around 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 politics remains a choice based on a desire to serve rather than an escape from poorly rewarding professional careers.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Sammy Mwibanda