Dr. Kigame Vows 2027 Presidential Bid, Champions Inclusivity at Thika School for the Blind

By John Toris

Presidential aspirant Dr. Robert Kigame today used the occasion of donating musical instruments to Salvation Army Thika High School for the Visually Impaired, to formally declare his intention to run for president in 2027 and issue a bold challenge against societal stereotypes facing persons with disabilities. The event, which was supported by UBA Bank, saw the handover of a synthesizer keyboard and recorders to the school, an institution Dr. Kigame credited for his own foundation.

“I am a product of the music culture of this institution. I am a product of the academic culture of this institution,” Dr. Kigame stated, expressing his personal connection to the school. “This is a school with a rich musical culture and I have been so sad to see that culture die in the past years. So we are here to revive that culture.”


The donation, however, served as a springboard for a wider call for national inclusivity. Dr. Kigame praised UBA Bank for converting some of its forms into Braille and challenged other institutions to follow suit.

“If UBA Bank can do this for persons living with visual disability, I'm challenging also other banks and institutions to include people with visual inconvenience in their services,” he said.

He directly called on the government to make all public documents accessible in Braille and to integrate sign language beyond television broadcasts into public life. “We want sign language in matatus, we want sign language in hotels, we want buildings to be accessible to people with disabilities,” he asserted. “Don't put your office on the 4th floor if you are serving everybody.”

While speaking to journalist during the event, Dr. Kigame directly addressed his presidential ambitions, confirming he is eyeing the presidency in 2027 after a previous attempt in 2022.

“Indeed I am eying the presidency. I did it in 2022, I am going to be eying it in 2027. And it is true that I have begun the journey of becoming your 6th president,” he declared.

In a powerful moment, he preemptively tackled the prejudices he faces as a visually impaired aspirant. “Standing in an institution like this, I know all the stereotypes: how will he inspect the guard of honor, how will he be able to see money?” he said, posing rhetorical questions to the audience.

He countered these doubts with a series of personal achievements: “How did I manage to marry one of the most beautiful women in the world? How have I gotten children? Somebody did not sire children for me. How is it that I have made it in school, in three different universities, and another one in the US? Give me a chance.”

Dr. Kigame argued that leadership is not dependent on physical sight but on vision and wisdom. “If eyesight can save a nation, then all the presidents from independence would have solved your problems because they can see. I don't think it's about eyesight, it's about wisdom, it's about vision.”

Beyond the political declaration, Dr. Kigame advocated for the school to be a model for Africa and emphasized the need for sufficient and timely government capitation. He also stressed that visually impaired students should have access to all fields of study, including ICT, law, sciences, and cookery, stating, “We are here to say Thika High School for the blind can be a model school that can serve Africa, not just Kenya.”


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