Accent Global Initiative (AGI)
“AGI Annals are anecdotal articles dedicated to advancing research-driven ideas and insights on governance, policy, and leadership in Africa. Through thought-provoking qualitative reviews of issues, we provide a platform for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to engage in meaningful discourse that shapes Africa’s leadership and governance landscape.
This report presents the findings of an investigation into the persistent disparity between presidential campaign rhetoric and actual governance outcomes in Kenya. Employing mixed-methods analysis, which includes thematic review and sentiment scoring of speeches, manifestos, and media coverage, it compares the tone and delivery across four administrations: Moi, Kibaki, Kenyatta, and Ruto. The findings reveal a consistent pattern where positive campaign sentiment devolves into negative or mixed tones during governance, thereby signalling broken promises and increasing public disillusionment. Furthermore, the report underscores how rhetorical shifts impact public trust, democratic integrity, and policy accountability. It concludes with strategic recommendations to realign political leadership with transparent, participatory, and ethical governance ahead of the 2027 elections in Kenya.
By Gilbert A. Ang’ana, PhD || Policy Leader Fellow, European University Institute Read here
COMPLICITY OR RESPONSIBILITY? AFRICA ACADEMIA’S ROLE IN ATROCITY AND RESISTANCE
Many African universities have become silent or complicit in human rights abuses, environmental degradation, and social injustice. While historically they have also been spaces of activism and resistance, today they stand at a crossroads. This Accent Global Initiative (AGI) Essay calls for a return to core educational values: critical inquiry, open debate, reflexivity, and ethical accountability. Why does this matter? African universities are key to shaping future leaders and policies. Without addressing their complicity and reclaiming their public mission, these institutions risk losing relevance and failing the continent.
By Dr. Gilbert A. Ang’ana, Read here
Why Do the Wrong People Become Members of Parliament in Kenya?
This article critically examines why individuals with questionable integrity often ascend to parliamentary leadership in Kenya. Despite constitutional safeguards, a culture of patronage, institutional weaknesses, societal value erosion, and the commodification of politics enable the election of unfit leaders. It challenges citizens to reflect on their role in perpetuating this cycle and calls for a national value reorientation ahead of the 2027 elections. The article is both a mirror and a wake-up call for Kenyans to demand credible, value-driven leadership.
By Gilbert A. Ang’ana, PhD || Policy Leader Fellow, European University Institute. Read here
Does higher education in Africa support the African Union Agenda 2063?
By Gilbert A. Ang’ana, PhD, Policy Leader Fellow, European University Institute
SELECTED MEDIA INTERVIEWS
Re-Thinking Good Governance in Africa by our Executive Director, Dr. Gilbert A. Ang’ana, a guest at Radio Vinternational in Florence, Italy, on 25 November 2024.
Read Assorted Articles (Op-Eds) by our Executive Director, Dr. Gilbert A. Ang’ana
List of Main Peer-Reviewed Publications
2025
- Re-thinking Good Governance in Africa: The Strategic Role of Intra-government Collaboration and Responsible Negotiation in Bridging the Divide. By Gilbert A. Ang’ana – Click to Read
2024
- From External Focus to Internal Reflection: Enhancing Intra-Government Collaborative Governance in Africa by Gilbert A. Ang’ana & Alain Lempereur. https://cadmus.eui.eu/handle/1814/77423
- Exploring Collaborative Leadership Experiences of Leaders in Selected Insurance Companies in Kenya. https://kenyasocialscienceforum.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/pdf-angana-et-al-exploring-collaborative-leadership-experiences-of-leaders-in-selected-insurance-companies-in-kenya-1.pdf
- PhD Dissertation: Collaborative Leadership, Environmental Dynamism, and Performance of Insurance Companies in Kenya. https://repo.pacuniversity.ac.ke/items/48d6adb0-0319-459e-a016-77a83d1a98d3
2023
- Collaborative Leadership and Performance: Towards Development of a New Theoretical Model. http://www.sciepub.com/jbms/content/11/6
- Conceptualizing and Measuring Collaborative Leadership in an Organizational Context. https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t2289
- Collaborative Leadership and performance: Does Environmental Dynamism Matter? https://strategicjournals.com/index.php/journal/article/view/2828
2022
- Leadership Credibility: A Holistic Exploration on the Making of Credible Leaders. https://www.ijmsssr.org/paper/IJMSSSR00674.pdf
- Collaborative Leadership in an Organizational Context: A Research Agenda. https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t2050
2021
- Sustaining Credible Leadership in Organizations. https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t2025
- Collaborative Leadership and its Influence in Building and Sustaining Successful Cross-Functional Relationships in Organizations in Kenya https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jbm/papers/Vol23-issue8/Ser-6/D2308061826.pdf
- The Impact of Collaborative Leadership on Urban Church influence in Africa. https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jhss/papers/Vol.26-Issue9/Ser-3/G2609035158.pdf