As we step into 2026, Kenya does so carrying the weight—and the lessons—of a demanding year. The months behind us were marked by civic unrest, economic pressure and searching questions about governance, security and accountability. The year ahead now calls for clarity, restraint and deliberate national conversation.This is not a moment for denial or drift. It is a moment for engagement.The events of 2025, particularly the Gen Z–led protests that swept across the country, were a clear signal that a growing segment of the population feels excluded from opportunity, unheard in decision-making and disconnected from political power. These protests were not rooted in party mobilisation, but in lived realities—high living costs, unemployment, perceived injustice and diminishing faith in institutions.How the government responds to these voices will shape not just 2026, but the road to the 2027 General Election.The state’s response over the past year revealed both restraint and concern. While there were efforts at dialogue, there were also troubling incidents involving excessive force, abductions and unexplained deaths. Such actions undermine public trust and weaken democratic legitimacy. As the new year begins, restoring confidence in institutions, especially security and justice, must be a national priority.Economically, Kenya enters 2026 with cautious optimism and unresolved strain. Inflation has eased and macro-economic stability has improved, yet for many households the relief remains intangible. Taxes remain heavy, jobs scarce and the cost of living stubbornly high. The challenge ahead is clear: growth must translate into dignity, opportunity and hope at the household level.Leadership in 2026 will be judged less by projections and more by outcomes.It was in recognition of these realities that Capital FM deliberately structured its editorial focus in the second half of 2025 around sustained national conversations. From July, we adopted thematic months designed to move beyond reactive headlines and instead interrogate systemic challenges and emerging opportunities.Our Diplomatic Round Table examined Kenya’s place in a rapidly shifting global order. Business and Technology explored innovation, entrepreneurship and the future of work. Tourism and Hospitality assessed recovery and competitiveness. Health of a Nation confronted access, financing and system resilience. Safety of a Nation, running through November and December, addressed policing, public order, human rights and security in all aspects, including financial stability.These themes were not academic exercises. They brought together policymakers, industry leaders, civil society and citizens to discuss real problems and real solutions. They reaffirmed a central belief: that meaningful progress requires inclusive, informed and sustained public discourse.As we begin 2026, that commitment deepens.We open the year with a strong focus on governance. As Kenya edges closer to the 2027 elections, critical questions are already emerging in public debate. Is the country on the brink of a governance or constitutional crisis? Are calls for a national referendum alongside the General Election, as suggested by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, a genuine solution, or a political shortcut? What reforms are necessary, and which risks are being understated?These questions demand calm interrogation, evidence-based debate and institutional sobriety, not alarmism and empty political rhetoric.In February, our focus will shift to climate change and sustainability, recognising that climate stress is no longer a distant concern but a present and growing reality. From food security to health, migration, infrastructure and livelihoods, climate will shape Kenya’s economic and social choices in the years ahead. This conversation will cut across policy, science, finance and community resilience.Throughout 2026, we will continue to centre conversations that matter on governance, the economy, security, climate, health, technology and social cohesion—bringing together voices across sectors and perspectives.For the media, the year ahead demands responsibility. In an era of polarisation and misinformation, journalism must resist both pressure and temptation: pressure to conform, and temptation to inflame. The task remains to verify, contextualise and explain, to hold power to account without surrendering fairness or humanity.As we start this new year, Kenya faces choices.Dialogue or dismissal.Accountability or expediency.Reform or rhetoric.The experiences of the past year remind us that silence is not stability, and suppression is not strength. Progress has always emerged from engagement—often uncomfortable, but ultimately necessary.As 2026 begins, Kenya remains challenged, but it is not without promise. It is a nation rich in ideas, resilience and civic energy. What is required now is leadership, institutions and citizenship equal to that moment.-Editorial Director