Nakuru duo keeping national, county governments in check

Dr Magare Gikenyi and Laban Omusundi. [File, Standard]

They come from two very different worlds - one a surgeon who spends his days saving lives in operating theatres, the other a self-taught activist who works from a cybercafe. But Dr Magare Gikenyi and Laban Omusundi share one heartbeat: patriotism and an unshakeable belief in accountability, transparency, and justice.

For 41-year-old Laban Omusundi, a Form Four leaver, the pen has become his weapon. Without formal legal training, he has taught himself to draft petitions, write access-to-information requests, and file cases in court - all from the hum of a local cybercafe. "I was born in Kakamega but raised in Nakuru, where my passion as a critic of poor leadership grew," he says with quiet conviction.

Over the years, Omusundi's petitions have shaped national conversations - from fighting hospital detentions of patients over unpaid bills to pushing for laws requiring nominated MCAs to be residents and registered voters of their counties.

"Kenya can be a little heaven for us all if duty bearers respect and uphold the Constitution," he says.

He has lost some cases, but he measures success not only in court victories but also in awareness and change. A 2020 petition he lost challenging Nakuru County's Sh19 billion budget ended up prompting better public participation in later processes. His most recent petitions call for term limits for MPs and MCAs, and for a law allowing citizens to impeach the President, governors, and their deputies.

Dr Gikenyi, a consultant trauma and general surgeon, spends his mornings in hospital corridors and his nights hunched over legal papers, researching.

"I go to the hospital early in the morning for ward rounds, clinics, and surgeries. Then I spend my nights checking on government excesses and drafting petitions," he says.

His dual life - doctor by day, activist by night - has earned him admiration and resistance in equal measure.

Known for challenging President William Ruto's appointments and executive orders, Gikenyi says his activism is guided purely by conscience. "My patients come first, but I cannot sit and watch as people trample on the law," he says.

In August 2025, he and three others won a major victory when the High Court halted President Ruto's multi-agency team on the war against corruption, terming it unconstitutional.

Between them, Omusundi and Dr. Gikenyi have filed more than 40 petitions - some in court, others before the Senate. Their causes differ in scope but share one heart: a call for honesty in leadership and fairness for ordinary Kenyans. In September this year, the unlikely pair joined forces and wrote to the County Government of Nakuru demanding answers about 311 mysterious bank accounts flagged by the Controller of Budget.