Kenya has undergone a tumultuous five months, witnessing our democratic ideals and institutions stretched to their limits. It began with the rejection of the Finance Bill by the people, in protests spearheaded by young Kenyans, now popularly referred to as Gen Zs. During the unprecedented demonstrations, both the good and the ugly sides of our democracy were on full display – the people’s voice was heard, but we also meaninglessly lost lives at the hands of those meant to protect them.
This set off a chain of events, culminating yesterday in the swearing-in of a new deputy president, Prof Abraham Kithure Kindiki. In this rollercoaster, the Cabinet was dissolved and reconstituted – albeit with old faces and members of the Opposition in a broad-based government – by President Ruto. Then, Deputy President President Rigathi Gachagua was impeached by the National Assembly and the Senate under controversial circumstances that tested the country’s institutions. Whether or not Parliament did its job well, another institution – the Judiciary – is now seized of the matter and is expected to serve justice the former Number Two.
Following Prof Kindiki’s swearing-in, the political class must now get down to serving all Kenyans. They must realise that the time for politicking is over; it is time to address Kenyans’ serious concerns – beginning with spiraling economic problems blamed on the government’s harsh policies and a softening economy.
The government must swiftly salvage the now dysfunctional new social health insurance fund, which has pushed Kenyans to dig deeper into their pockets to pay for medical services. Additionally, it must fix both the problematic new Competence-Based Curriculum and the new higher education funding model, which have left students, parents, and tutors in a lurch. There is also a myriad of labour issues affecting both the health and education sectors, characterized by incessant strikes, which need conclusive solutions.
The President and administration must translate his promises to Kenyans into action. Stop the lip service. Stop the waste. Stop the corruption. Stop your administration’s global gallivanting, settle down, and work for Kenyans. Stop the extrajudicial killings and abductions and respect people’s rights. Focus on service delivery. Remember that Kenyans deserve better; the Ruto administration has only three years until the end of their term, and they should seize this opportunity to execute their 2022 political manifesto, by which Kenyans will judge them come the 2027 elections.
And for the new deputy president, we wish you well in your service to the nation. Learn from your disgraced predecessor and unite the nation to banish the politics of shareholding and division.
