The Death of Expertise and the Crisis of Knowledge in Kenya

The greatest threat to knowledge in modern Kenya may not be ignorance, but the growing belief that expertise is unnecessary. In an age where social media rewards confidence over competence and opinion competes with evidence on equal footing, a culture of superficial certainty is reshaping public discourse, weakening trust in institutions, and making it increasingly difficult to distinguish genuine expertise from persuasive performance. Inspired by the warnings of political scientist Tom Nichols, this article examines how the erosion of respect for knowledge is emerging as a serious developmental challenge for Kenya's future.