A democracy depends on checks and balances—but Kenya's Parliament is failing that test. Far too often, lawmakers have abdicated their constitutional role as a check on the Executive, rubber-stamping dangerous bills and enabling brutality. From tax legislation that crushes livelihoods to allowing lethal force against dissent, the nation's representative body has betrayed citizens. As public faith crumbles, Kenyans must demand a Parliament—one that lives up to its oath and defends our rights.
Parliament as a Rubber Stamp: A System Under Duress
In theory, Kenya’s Parliament was built to be a check and balance on Executive power, but in recent years, its acts tell another story. MPs have often rushed through legislation without proper scrutiny—like improved oversight of Cabinet nominees or citizen petitions. Take July 2024: the President’s nominees sailed through vetting with little examination of their credentials, performance, or integrity—a clear failure of Parliament's duty to protect national interests .
But it's worse. The institution has repeatedly approved harmful bills nearly unchanged, bolstering fiscal plans that burden citizens while ignoring public critique. Examples include outright endorsement of the Finance Bills in 2024 and 2025, which introduced severe taxation on bread, mobile money, electricity, and fuel at a time of economic crisis . Parliament’s silence and compliance speak volumes about where its loyalties lie—and it’s not with the electorate.
Tax Policy Bailouts & Economic Punishment of the Poor
When Parliament passes aggressive taxation without effective taxation guidance or meaningful public consultation, poor and middle-income Kenyans bear the cost. Advocates from civil society, economists, and taxpayers have insisted that taxing bread, cooking oil, water, and mobile money directly undermines Kenya’s path to prosperity, but Parliament simply moved on .
These legislative moves trigger painful consequences: small businesses suffer, job creation stalls, inflation rises—and citizens lose faith. Even the World Bank warned that Kenya’s debt was forcing premature austerity—and Parliament continued to fund additional borrowing through rubber-stamp budgets, emboldening the Executive.
This was not governance. It was a betrayal of trust. The government's fiscal path was designed in boardrooms and vetting sessions—not parliaments or town halls. Ordinary Kenyans were made to pay for a narrative they had no part in shaping.
Enablers of Budgets and Borrowing: Silent Endorsement
Beyond frontline taxation, Parliament’s compliance on borrowing has deepened the crisis. In 2023–2024, Kenya borrowed aggressively—sometimes exceeding 8% of GDP annually, fueling a debt crisis. Despite dire warnings, MPs approved loans with opaque terms. The IMF involvement was ignored; domestic voices were silenced. Banking these debts hurt our schools, hospitals, and counties. Parliament sanctioned the collapse of public services—and the plastic promises offered in return.
This passivity weakens governments, defunds development, and deprioritises public welfare. It also masks greed. With governance budgets shrinking, evidence of tender abuse in health, infrastructure, and security proves that law bending asks citizens to pay for corruption. Parliament not only stood by—it cheered.
Ignoring the Will of the People: Protests Met with Permission Slips and Tear Gas
Parliament's moral failure also emerges in how it treated protestors. In 2024, Kenyans organized #OccupyParliament protests against the Finance Bill; MPs remained silent—they passed the bill despite 200+ arrests, mount ing injuries, and at least 60 deaths. Legislators failed in their constitutional role to defend citizens’ rights, instead fueling brutality.
In June 2025, protests sparked by Albert Ojwang’s custodial death were met with further force. MPs did not demand accountability; they didn’t pause. The Parliament building was barricaded—not opened. Funds were approved, not retracted. Silence from those elected to listen created an unbearable vacuum of democracy.
A Parliament that legitimizes state violence is no Parliament at all—it is complicit.
Broken Mandate, Broken Trust: The Recall Movement
Public anger over MPs’ failure manifested in recall attempts—especially among lawmakers who backed Finance Bills. Yet recall processes have been slow, amended, or derailed—only underscoring that Parliament isn't an accountable institution, but a powerful club. Citizens entrusted their vote; in return, they received only legislative indifference and pressure.
While structural failures played out, Parliament authorized amendments to make recall harder—and less likely . When institutions set rules to avoid scrutiny, democracy suffers. Parliamentary tolerance for such moves reveals an institution more attentive to self-preservation than to justice.
Public Outrage vs Parliamentary Apathy
Narratives from Kenya's towns and cities bear witness: Op-eds and editorials accuse MPs of being “executive puppets” . Unionists, clergy, and civil society condemn the house for failing its mandate. People note how policies that should fuel prosperity only feed austerity—how loan approvals lack scrutiny; how appointees evade vetting; how gender issues are brushed aside; how justice is muffled by silence.
The urgent, ongoing Finance Bill 2025 remains Parliament's next test—will the abusive cycle repeat, or will MPs rediscover their constitutional backbone ?
Where Parliament Could—and Should—Intervene
Parliament is not powerless. It has several tools to restrain executive overreach:
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Use Article 104 recall, to hold lawmakers to account through public vote; it's heavy, but invocations are valid and potent .
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Vet nominees effectively—demand qualifications, background checks, and public confirmation hearings .
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Review IMF-driven austerity-informed bills critically, not partially accept them—debate tax thresholds, budget priorities, and ask hard questions.
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Condition budget support on police reforms, including independent oversight, use-of-force rules, accountability mechanisms .
These aren't partisan strategies—they're constitutional responsibilities.
The Alternative: Independence, Integrity, and Accountability
Some MPs—notably Okiya Omtatah—have broken ranks. Omtatah repeatedly challenged Assembly alignment of Senate oversight, called out odious debt, pushed recall oversight, and exposed executive overreach across multiple petitions. MPs like him remind us that representation isn't passive—it’s public service.
In other counties, MPs have organized public consultations, blocked predatory bills, and called for truth—even as they risked reprimand, patronage, and isolation.
We need more of them. Every public official must operate under the microscope of public scrutiny.
Why All This Matters—for Democracy, Stability, and Growth
When Parliament gets captured by the Executive:
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Democracy becomes hollow theater
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Corruption spreads; contractors bribe; public trust withers
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Civil rights evaporate; protests escalate or die in silence
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Businesses flee; investors probe; opportunities vanish
This isn't extreme. It's happening now.
But when Parliament defends itself—by upholding law, defending rights, enforcing transparency—it sends a message: the people still matter. That's how trust is restored. That is redemption.
What Kenyans Can Do Today
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Follow parliamentary debates. Write, tweet, call MPs to demand thinking, not clocking.
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Support recall movements. Learn petition requirements; push for enforcement.
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Elevate voices like Okiya Omtatah, faith leaders, watchdogs.
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Mobilize media and watchdogs to report key votes. Money spent? Someone says yes? Write to the press.
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Vote in 2027 for character—not chemistry or spending power. Lawfulness, not perks.
The power of Parliament lies in public WILL. Rebuild it—or lose it.
Conclusion: Parliament Must Serve People—Not Power
Kenya’s Parliament sits at a historic inflection. For months—and years—it has failed as the people’s voice. But that failure is temporary. It was not always like this, and doesn't have to be.
A Legislature that stands against impunity, demands accountability, defends the Constitution—and defends the citizenry—is the bedrock of democracy. MPs who follow orders over voters, votes over values, secrecy over public debate—subvert the state.
Ultimately, Kenya needs Parliament to rejoin its side—to work for citizens, not presidents. When it does, democracy lives. When it doesn’t, tyranny wins.
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