Last month, Kenya witnessed arguably its toughest and most inspiring moment in recent history. Toughest because of the pain of watching needless loss of lives, injuries and blatant abductions, all almost entirely attributable to the state.
Inspiring because of an uplifting revival of hope from an unlikely quarter and in an even more unlikely manifestation. Until recently, the country was engulfed in a cloud of despair and hopelessness, with Kenyans drifting into debilitating apathy in the face of crippling extraction from the Kenya Kwanza administration.
The situation emboldened the government, knowing that the response from Kenyans would be no more than momentary reaction and objection, followed by ‘accepting and moving on'. Except it was not to be this time around. The publication of the Finance Bill, 2024 would trigger more than just the customary momentary objection.
What began as a strong online protest, arrogantly dismissed by some government officials, morphed into a powerful offline movement, the like of which has not been witnessed in a long time. Largely led by the youth, popularly known as Gen Z, the movement shook the government out of its comforting arrogance and complacency.
Walls hitherto considered impregnable were literally brought down. Nothing had prepared the nation for the sight of Parliament being occupied, with MPs literally scampering for safety.
President Ruto acceded to the protesters’ demand and withdrew the Finance Bill. Vacillating between ‘retaliation’ and ‘conciliation’, the President promised to have dialogue with the youth.
To that end, he proposed the establishment of the National Multi-Sectoral Forum, bringing together representatives from various interests: youth, civil society, faith groups, professional bodies, academia, private sector, Parliament and governors, among others. The set-up is however replete with flaws from the word go.
Firstly, the foundation has been unilaterally laid, with the President deciding on his own what format the consultation should take, and who (and how many) to participate, and issues to be discussed.
Ironically, executive unilateralism is at the heart of the very problem he is seeking to address. The know-it-all attitude and failure to consult is a visible ingredient in the current chaotic recipe. Such a foundation offers nothing more than a fleeting guarantee and is less likely to deliver the desired result.
Secondly, the proposed structure lacks any legislative or regulatory framework to entrench its existence and purpose. The absence of a grounding framework renders it more like the President’s advisory body, just adding to a list of existing advisory entities already in place and whose impact is yet to be felt by the public.
Kenya’s history is awash with stinging memories of entities set up to serve at the discretion of the sitting president. The fate of the NMSF will be no different, that is, if it picks.
One of the identified participants in the forum is Parliament; both the majority and minority sides. They are required to consume the President’s instructions like everybody else on the list, including the number of representatives they should nominate.
It seems that the President is far from internalising the full import of our institutional independence. Parliament cannot, and should not, be part of the charade. It must seize the latest crisis, one it has immensely contributed to, to finally free itself from the executive’s stranglehold. There is no denying the fact that Parliament’s subservience is to blame.
The problems afflicting the country are well known and do not need any hard thinking, let alone adding to the endless list of dedicated task forces and commissions. Corruption, wastage, bloated public service, incompetent cabinet and institutional failure, just to mention a few.
What the President needs is to act decisively in addressing these problems. Anything else is window dressing that will do little, if any, to restore public faith in his floundering administration.