The Collapse of Trust: Why Kenyans No Longer Believe in Their Institutions

Kenya is at a dangerous inflection point. Once regarded as a beacon of stability in East Africa, its public institutions—courts, Parliament, the IEBC, and the police—are now viewed with deep suspicion. A series of high-profile failures, abuses, and cronyism have led to a collapse of trust that threatens the very foundations of governance. When citizens lose faith in the institutions meant to protect them, democracy falters. This article explores how this erosion unfolded, what it means for the average Kenyan, and how trust might be repaired.

Judicial Credibility Wanes

The judiciary was long considered a pillar of national integrity. Yet over the past decade, its reputation has cratered. A 2024 Infotrak survey found only 34% of Kenyans had moderate trust in courts—while 57% didn’t trust them at all. Cases stack up in courtrooms, leaving litigants hanging for years. Allegations of bias, bribery, and political interference have become commonplace. Attempts to remove honorable judges—such as petitions against Chief Justice Martha Koome—sap public belief in the system’s impartiality.

Despite high-profile victories like the 2017 annulment of the presidential election—a landmark affirmation of judicial independence—the public remains wary. Afrobarometer revealed that 59% believe Supreme Court judges are often intimidated by political pressure. Judicial misconduct, delays, and perceived alignment with political factions undermine the court’s authority. When citizens feel justice is bought or bartered, not served, trust vanishes.

Parliamentary Paralysis and Patronage

Parliament is failing to act as the democratic check it was designed to be. Data shows trust in Parliament dropped to just 45%—with the President’s office only slightly higher at 52%. Parliament has repeatedly rubber-stamped controversial Finance Bills (2024, 2025) without adequate public hearing, passing austerity measures that penalize ordinary citizens . When protests erupted, MPs remained passive or defended police violence rather than ensuring accountability.

Worse still, allegations of nepotism, tribal allocations of ministerial seats, and access to public funds have rendered Parliament a patronage hub, not a legislative body. When MPs appear more focused on personal gain than public service, citizens lose trust in the entire democratic process.

IEBC’s Credibility Crisis

One of Kenya’s most critical institutions—especially since the trauma of the 2007–08 elections—is the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). Established in 2011, it was tasked with bringing transparency and credibility to elections. Early efforts included biometric voter registration and real-time result transmission. But in 2017, systems crashed and delays spread doubt. Suspicion deepened with allegations that election data was manipulated , triggering public unrest.

In 2022, despite tech improvements, flawed result uploads and opaque transmission fueled further public resentment. Calls for reform and better oversight remain unanswered. When election outcomes are questioned, so too are the leaders chosen. This loss of confidence threatens the foundation of every other institution.

Police Impunity and Fear

The institution viewed with the greatest distrust is the Kenyan police—where 68% of respondents say "most or all officers" are corrupt. Brutality is widespread: extrajudicial killings, live rounds at protests, enforced disappearances and staged accidents. During the Finance Bill protests, at least 19 civilians were killed, and approximately 159 disappeared. Nationwide crackdowns on Saba Saba protests killed 31 civilians, many shot at home—only to be misclassified as accidents or stranger attacks .

Despite these failures, independent oversight bodies like IPOA have been weakened—vetting processes stalled, disciplinary actions delayed, and foul officers reinstated. With the Inspector General effectively report­ing to the Interior Ministry, the police function as a political tool, not a public service . When citizens fear the police more than criminals, law and order crumble.

Interlinked Collapse

These institutional failures are not isolated—they feed each other. A suspicious IEBC means contested elections, which puts pro-government judges and leaders under pressure. Parliament fails to hold anyone accountable, reinforcing the idea that politics is a self-serving game. The courts grimly attempt to uphold civic order, but their capacity to enforce rulings is limited. And the police, free to operate without fear of repercussion, suppress dissent and sow fear.

Public frustration is clear: only 32% trust the ruling party, 31% trust opposition, and 35% trust local government. In times of crisis, citizens seek shelter in religious and traditional leaders (60+ %) and the military (majority support); they avoid courts and politicians.

When institutions fail, so does the state. Democracy requires credible elections, transparent budgets, impartial courts, and fair policing. When those pillars crumble:

• Corruption thrives: No one holds leaders accountable. Resources are stolen or misallocated. Bribe averages jumped from KSh 6,865 in 2022 to KSh 11,625 in 2023—a signal of rising graft.

• Peace lacks guardrails: Political tension seethes when electoral or judicial outcomes are distrusted. The trauma of past ethnic violence lingers when the IEBC lacks credibility .

• Infrastructure and services degrade: Politicized budgets, weak policing, and corrupt leadership cause breakdowns in health systems, roads, schools—resulting in a public that pays more and gets less.

• Democracy becomes performative: Elections and institutions become rituals, not safeguards. Citizens tune out, cynicism grows, and dictatorships find fertile ground.

How Trust Can Be Restored

The collapse of confidence is not irreversible—but restoring it requires deliberate, systemic reform.

1. Judicial independence: Courts need independence from the Executive, better funding, and accountability mechanisms that punish misconduct without politics . Cases must conclude within months, not years.

2. Parliament as a check: Parliament should assert oversight over spending, vet nominees rigorously, and enforce laborious recalls for absentee or corrupt MPs. Budget-making must be transparent and participatory .

3. Electoral reform: IEBC must be rebuilt with bipartisan oversight, transparent result transmission, and verifiable paper trails. Civic education is needed to rebuild faith in the vote.

4. Police reform: Vetting must resume with urgency. IPOA needs adequate budget and authority to prosecute. Courts must penalize excessive force without fear. Civilian board oversight must be instituted .

5. Anti-corruption enforcement: EACC and ODPP must be empowered to prosecute high-level cases. Ministerial and presidential discretion in funding must be limited .

6. Civic inclusion: Media literacy, public budget hearings, education on rights, and youth engagement create an informed citizenry.

Voices of Hope

Despite institutional collapse, hope remains.

Former Chief Justice David Maraga and Senator Okiya Omtatah are leading calls for accountability and structural fixes. Civic groups, journalists, and youth activists are crowd-tracking violence and budget leaks. On social media, movements like #WeAreAllKikuyus are reclaiming national identity, not tribal loyalty.

International bodies like UN Human Rights and APOC watch Kenya closely. Embassies stress conditionality for aid predicated on reform. The business sector is lobbying for governance improvements. And citizens? They are tired—but still hopeful for change.

Kenya’s institutions reflect its society—capable of greatness, but fragile in the face of neglect. Mistrust doesn’t just reflect failure—it fuels it. But reform is possible. When courts are trusted, litigants seek peace in legal halls—not the streets. When elections are trusted, politics becomes about ideas, not tribes. When police protect, communities feel safe. When Parliament governs, citizens believe tomorrow can be better.

Restoring trust requires courage—not just from leaders, but citizens who demand better. But once begun, trusted institutions become engines of hope. A renewed judiciary, a transparent Parliament, a respected IEBC, and accountable police can collectively lift Kenya to the democracy its Constitution envisioned.

Kenya’s credibility crisis is deep—but not terminal. Reconstruction of public trust is essential—and urgent. Citizens, civic actors, and principled leaders must act together to heal the fractures. The next decade will determine whether Kenya rebuilds its democracy—or succumbs to public apathy.

Trust is not given. It is earned—day by day, verdict by verdict, vote by vote. And Kenya is at a moment where it must choose: rebuild the institutions that bind it—or let those institutions bind its future.