A seismic shift is brewing in Kenya’s political landscape as the Hekima Alliance Party (HAPA) unveils a bold and unapologetically people-first manifesto aimed at disrupting the country’s entrenched political order. Framed around a powerful ideology of a welfare state and delivered through a sweeping economic model dubbed EVOLVE, HAPA is promising to upend politics-as-usual and hand power back to the majority it calls “The Looted.”
“We believe Kenya has only two tribes, the Looters and the Looted. When the Looted unite, they can reclaim this country,” declares the party’s founding document.
At the heart of HAPA’s revolution is the EVOLVE model, a six-point economic game plan built to transform Kenya’s struggling economy into a people-powered engine of prosperity.
- E for Economic Turnaround aims to revive stalled sectors like textiles, sugar, coffee, and tourism.
- V for Value Generation pledges to awaken dormant giants, mining, the digital economy, and maritime trade, while bringing boda bodas and SMEs back to life.
- O for Optimizing Talent focuses on tapping youth, women, and the elderly through vocational training and leadership incubation.
- L for Leveraging Strategic Partnerships envisions a lean, clean, and transparent government that attracts international development allies without selling out national interests.
- V for Vulnerability Management is a pledge to leave no one behind, from North Eastern Kenya’s neglected infrastructure to single mothers in informal settlements.
- E for Environmental Stewardship asserts that climate justice and economic growth must go hand in hand, citing tree planting, carbon credits, and water tower protection as critical tools.
But HAPA isn’t stopping at economics. The party is also targeting political culture, promising to abolish backroom deals, money-for-ticket nominations, and party autocracy.
“Hekima is not a political kiosk where party tickets are stored under someone’s mattress,” the statement reads. “We will let grassroots Kenyans pick their leaders — from MCA to President.”
On foreign policy, HAPA takes a fiercely nationalist tone. Citing examples like overpriced car maintenance contracts with Toyota Kenya and Chinese-led road projects, the party decries what it calls “economic colonialism disguised as partnership.”
“Kenya must be built by Kenyans, using Kenyan labor, talent, and resources,” the document asserts. Foreign firms will only be welcomed if they offer skills transfer, local employment, and clear alignment with national goals.
With the country grappling with economic pain, youth unemployment, and widespread political fatigue, HAPA’s rallying call, “EVOLVE and Join HAPA”– is likely to resonate with a population hungry for change.
Whether this bold vision will translate to electoral success remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: HAPA has entered the arena swinging.
