Mumias East MP Peter Salasya has revealed that he plans to start a political training academy aimed at preparing new leaders ahead of the 2027 General Election.
He shared the announcement through his official X account, stating that the program is scheduled to begin on March 15.
According to Salasya, the academy will focus on equipping aspiring politicians with practical knowledge and skills needed to run effective campaigns and engage voters more directly.
He presented the idea as a structured platform for individuals who want to enter politics but lack guidance, strategy, and field experience.
The lawmaker said many young and first-time candidates fail, not because they lack ideas, but because they do not understand how political systems, campaigns, and voter outreach actually work on the ground.
His plan is to close that gap through organized training instead of guesswork and trial-and-error.
He described the academy as a preparation ground for those who want to contest various elective seats in 2027, from local positions to national offices.
The training is expected to cover campaign planning, public communication, leadership conduct, grassroots mobilization, and policy messaging.
If executed seriously, that kind of structure would give newcomers a measurable advantage over candidates who just rely on popularity or party backing.
Salasya also used the announcement to restate his political identity and personal journey. He portrayed himself as an independent-minded leader who does not rely on paid publicity or political wave movements.
He argued that his support comes from direct engagement with citizens rather than political pressure or forced loyalty.
He pointed to his early political struggles as proof of long-term persistence. In the 2017 election cycle, he received only a small number of votes when he first attempted to win a parliamentary seat.
At that time, he was active in student leadership at Egerton University and involved in charity work supporting vulnerable children in Nakuru. That background, he says, shaped his approach to leadership and public service.
Salasya claimed that his current popularity is based on consistency and visibility in community matters rather than elite political alliances. He described himself as a leader who speaks directly on citizen concerns instead of following group political scripts. That is a strong claim — and like all political claims — it should be judged by measurable performance, not slogans. Voters tend to reward results, not branding.
The proposed academy raises two practical questions that matter more than the announcement itself. First: will it offer real technical training or just political motivation sessions? Second: who will design and teach the curriculum?
If the program turns into a publicity channel instead of a serious training institution, it will add no real value. Political education only works when it is structured, evidence-based, and skills-focused.
Kenya already has many informal political mentorship networks, but very few formal training spaces dedicated to campaign mechanics and governance preparation.
If Salasya builds a credible framework with qualified trainers — including legal experts, policy analysts, campaign strategists, and communications professionals — the academy could become useful. If it is personality-driven and unstructured, it will fade quickly after the headlines.
The timing is also strategic. With the 2027 elections approaching, early preparation gives potential candidates more runway to build networks, test messages, and understand voter behavior.
Serious campaigns are built years in advance, not months. On that point, the move is logically sound.
Still, launching an academy is the easy part. Running it well is the hard part.
It requires funding transparency, clear selection criteria, measurable outcomes, and non-partisan training standards if it wants credibility beyond Salasya’s personal following.
In short: the concept is smart, the success will depend entirely on execution. If it delivers practical political skills and not just hype, it could shape a new crop of better-prepared candidates. If not, it becomes another loud political project with little long-term impact.
