The actions of Kenya’s Parliament have shown a clear disconnect between the will of the people and the decisions being made by the legislators elected to serve them. In the past, Parliament hastily passed the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), only for it to be declared unconstitutional by the courts.
More recently, the Finance Bill 2024 was forced through, despite public opposition and protests, particularly led by Generation Z. Both instances reflect Parliament’s failure to listen to the people, with legislators prioritizing the executive’s agenda over the citizens’ welfare.
At the heart of the issue is the bloated size of Parliament, with its 349 members, which makes meaningful engagement nearly impossible. Instead of acting as an independent check on the executive, Parliament has become a rubber stamp, passing whatever is presented before it without proper scrutiny.
This massive body has become too unwieldy to manage and allows the executive to manipulate decisions. A reduction to fewer than 200 MPs would foster productive debates and restore Parliament’s role as a true representative of the people.
If Parliament remains unchecked, it could be further misused by the executive to push through draconian constitutional amendments and laws, threatening Kenya’s democracy. With Parliament’s unquestioning loyalty, the executive could introduce dictatorial legislation and even manipulate Parliament to remove a sitting Chief Justice, deeming them unfit to hold office.
This is not a far-fetched scenario, given that Parliament has already been marshaled in the past to meet the two-thirds rule. The current trajectory puts Kenya at risk of becoming an authoritarian state if Parliament is not reformed.
Notably, former Chief Justice David Maraga declared Parliament unconstitutionally constituted in September 2020 for failing to meet the two-thirds gender rule, calling for its dissolution. While Parliament survived at the time, the same could happen again under the leadership of the current Chief Justice, Martha Koome, if Parliament continues to serve the executive rather than the people.
The time is ripe for Parliament to be sent packing, giving Kenyans a chance to elect men and women ready to serve the country’s interests. Parliament must be restructured to safeguard Kenya’s democracy and restore public trust.
