Nairobi, Aug. 27 -- As Kenya enters another season of presidential campaign manifestos, we are once again about to be flooded with grand promises and lofty political rhetoric.

But if there was ever a time for serious, hard-nosed economic debate, it is now.

Presidential candidates must demonstrate a clear grasp of where our economy stands, where it is heading, and how we intend to navigate the headwinds ahead.

We need presidential candidates with blueprints teeming with ambition-blueprints grounded in bold, innovative thinking.

Almost every contender identifies public debt as the primary millstone around our necks. There is near-unanimous consensus that managing debt will be the defining challenge for the next administration.

With our...