IS IT TOO EARLY TO BEGIN ANgling for the Kibaki succession? May be not. But do the candidates we hear about have anything of value to tell, or show us? That is where, as Kenyans, we come in.

Truly, none of us should have any grudge or reason against those who wish to be Kenya's next president. All of us above 35 years are free - regardless of our religion, ethnicity, race or sex.

Indeed, to be president is simply to be the chief executive of the Kenyan state and to qualify as the man, or woman, from whom we will seek political and related economic and administrative guidance.

But before we look at the possible Kibaki successors, we want to ask a straightforward question: What kind of president do Kenyans want? We have always voted for "our man" or the man our party or ethnic leader suggested for us, and really not the man Kenyans needed and wanted.

LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I HAVE heard and learnt from a cross-section of Kenyans. Foremost, we do not want a ethnic chauvinist to be our president. Nor do we want a corrupt man, a selfish criminal, a grabber, a pathetic schemer, a politically deaf and blind man, and a lazy wag.

We need a president who will guarantee stability and security, who will raise our living and educational standards, who will not appoint a cruel demagogues to exploit and oppress us, and who will make our country wealthy and internationally respected and admired.

Definitely, Kenyans wish to be respected wherever they go. Nobody wishes to be associated with a dishonourable president like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, or a delinquent country, like Somalia.

I do not want, at this stage, to cast my discourse far and wide, because despite what we read and hear, very few Kenyans have so far openly indicated their desire to succeed Kibaki. What we strongly suspect is that Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka will stand again. But I also hear that Uhuru Kenyatta, Martha Karua and George Saitoti are keen. And who knows, in another year or two even Martin Shikuku, Njenga Karume and William ole Ntimama might turn up!

At the moment, our ears are all up. And why not? In our pubs, we gossip, we throw tantrums, we squeal and twitter and we approve or disapprove. Selecting Kenya's next president will be, after all, our responsibility.

But for goodness's sake, let us ensure that next time we elect the right man or woman. We must avoid the kind of man who wins the presidency through manipulation of ethnicity, through horse-trading regional blocs, through manipulating the electoral commissioners, or through assembling on a string all types of crazy hoodlums into an alliance.

All our past presidents were selected and elected by default. We did not know Jomo Kenyatta well. He had spent most of his active and adult life in Britain and a few more in detention, in Turkana. When he arrived home, he was old, tired and difficult to talk to.

Daniel arap Moi took over after Kenyatta died, and was followed by Mwai Kibaki, who took over through a hurriedly stitched up alliance, known as Narc. And the lesson we have learnt is that once a person enters State House, it becomes very difficult to push him out.

BECAUSE OF THE ABOVE, WE MUST next time be very alert and careful about who we elect. We want the next presidential candidates to do real and honest campaigns, throughout the country. We must do what the candidates of the Democratic Party in the US are doing - debating, addressing rallies and listening carefully.

During our last General Election, Mwai Kibaki and Kalonzo Musyoka kept out of Luo Nyanza completely. That was not cool, and none of them can today claim to be leader of the Luo.

Though campaigning can be expensive and sometimes hostile, a presidential candidate must make it a point to address and listen to all Kenyans, otherwise his or her agenda becomes fake or compromised.

Kenyans do not like political hardliners. Our leaders are out there to lead us, to advise us and to be advised by us - and not to terrorise us into accepting what they believe or want.

I like the way the three American presidential candidates John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are handling their campaigns. They have demonstrated polish, genuineness, openness and commitment to all Americans. Can we in Kenya have candidates who are committed to all, without ethnic bias? Can we?

Prof Ochieng' teaches history at Maseno University