This archive report was first published on 30 July 2020.
July 7, 1990, marked a pivotal moment in Kenya's history with the Saba Saba rally, a call for multi-party democracy. Yet, the country's leaders have failed to uphold the principles of democracy, instead succumbing to impunity and arrogance.
Bishop Henry Okullu's lament, 'Where will our true leaders come from?' still resonates today. The scramble for power by leaders of the second liberation led to a disregard for the sacrifices made by those who fought for democracy.
The exact number of unarmed demonstrators shot by police during the Saba Saba rally remains unknown. This incident is a stark reminder of the country's failure to uphold democratic values.
Today, Kenya has the freedom to speak and vote, but the political culture is characterised by grand thievery, cynicism, arrogance, and a sense of impunity. The latest reminder came when Senator Johnson Sakaja was arrested for drinking after curfew hours and threatened police with punitive actions.
Young leaders have failed to change the narrative, and incidents like Sakaja's arrest, a MP shooting a DJ, and another MP making xenophobic remarks, demonstrate the entrenched nature of arrogance and impunity in Kenya's political culture.
Despite the presence of youthful leaders, including the President and his Deputy, the country has regressed to Kanu-era levels of grand thievery. A generational change in politics brings energy and a progressive way of looking at the world, but Kenya's youthful politicians are the shrillest sycophants, the most anti-intellectual, and just as arrogant as the older generation.
