African Leaders: Serving the People or Themselves?

Across Africa today, many people are worried and angry. In country after country, presidents refuse to leave power. Elections happen, but the results often feel fake. Citizens vote, but their voices are not heard. From Cameroon to Tanzania, from Uganda to Ivory Coast, the same story repeats: leaders stay, people suffer.

In Cameroon, President Paul Biya has been in power since 1982  more than 40 years. He is now 92 years old, yet he just won another term. Biya now continues what many describe as half a century of rule, with official results putting him at 53.66 % of the vote, despite large mobilization of youth and opposition claims of irregularities, full of complaints about cheating and unfairness. This led to pre election protests an the country is currently facing post election protests characterized by arbitrary arrests and killings.

In Ivory Coast, President Alassane Ouattara said he would not run again but guess what? he did and went for a fourth term and as usual, he won. Many people believe the vote was not fair. Opposition leaders were blocked from running, and those who spoke out were punished. Citizens ask: if leaders can change the rules whenever they want, what is the meaning of democracy?

Tanzania is not left out, President Samia Suluhu Hassan won the election with almost 98% of the votes, a number that sounds impossible in a fair race. Opposition leaders were arrested or banned from running. After the results were announced, people protested and are still protesting in the streets. Many Tanzanians say they want real choice, not just one party pretending to hold elections.

President Isaias Afwerki of Eritrea has ruled since 1993, when the country became independent. There have been no elections at all since then. There is no free press, no parliament, and young people are forced into endless military service. Thousands run away every year, risking their lives to escape. Eritrea has become a prison for its own citizens.

Yoweri Museveni has been president of Uganda since 1986. He once promised that he will not cling to power and also promised to bring freedom and change. Now, he has removed term limits and changed the constitution so he can stay in power for life. Opposition leaders like Bobi Wine are often beaten or jailed. Uganda’s youth and most of the population  feel ignored and trapped in poverty.

In Nigeria, the biggest democracy in Africa, another tragedy continues. In the north and central regions, Christians are being attacked and killed by armed groups and extremists. Villages are destroyed, churches burned, and families displaced. Many Nigerians say their government is not doing enough to stop the killings. The situation has become so bad that even the President of the United States had to speak up and call for action. Nigerians ask: why must the world care more about us than our own leaders do?

In many African countries, elections are only for show. Constitutions are changed, and anyone who speaks against the government is silenced or jailed.

But Africa’s story is not only about failure. Across the continent, young people are speaking out. Through social media, protests, and community movements, they are demanding better leadership, jobs, and justice. They want leaders who serve the people not rulers who serve themselves.

These scenes are increasingly familiar across Africa: election day followed by dispute, protests, claims of rigged registers or excluded candidates. The question arises: If democracy is being practiced, why are our youths in the streets?
Because when a process ends with protests instead of celebration, we must ask:
• Were the elections truly free and fair?
• When leaders stay in power for decades, who is holding them accountable?
• And if the young majority did vote, why do so many feel invisible after the ballots are counted?

Democracy is not just about casting a vote, it’s about believing your vote mattered, and seeing its effects in your daily life. Infrastructure, jobs, rights  these are the dividends of democracy. When they elude young people, frustration builds.

Our leaders claim the mandate, but if substantial portions of the electorate believe the result is flawed, then what kind of mandate is it? What we need is not just another ballot, but a return to genuine representation.

Power isn’t an inheritance. It’s a trust bestowed by citizens. When that trust erodes, the streets speak louder than official decrees. The real strength of Africa is not in its presidents, it is in its people.