Inaugural speeches have become the major yardstick by which political leaders, are held accountable to their words. These all important speeches are barometers to measure the success of the tenure of an office holder. If ever there was anything such as “words on marble”, it is the inaugural speech. These are not just empty words; they are words that are cast in stone (or should be). Since political offices are held as public trust, the inaugural speech is usually the first official interface that political leaders have with those they have been elected to serve. It is an expression of a sacred covenant entered into by a leader and his people. It is a solemn pledge by the leader to abide by the tenets of the covenant entered into with the people.
Having entered into such a “holy matrimony” with the people, as it were, the inaugural speech presents a golden opportunity for a leader to expressly affirm his love for the people that have bestowed him with the mantle of leadership. It is an opportunity for a leader to lay out his vision in seeking for a position of leadership in the first place; his mission or how he or she intends to accomplish and actualise, in concrete terms, the underlying driving vision...View all Publications