This archive report was first published on 20 July 2019.
July 20, 2019, marked a peculiar day in Nairobi as groups of legislators and governors converged on the capital city to air their grievances through public protests.
The protests were sparked by two main issues: the long-standing disagreement between the national government and county governments over revenue sharing, and the perceived lack of respect by the National Assembly for the Senate's authority.
While it is not uncommon for conflicts to arise between institutions with overlapping mandates, the decision by these elected leaders to resort to public demonstrations is noteworthy.
As Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Dean of Moi University School of Medicine Lukoye Atwoli astutely observes, there are 'civilised' ways of handling such conflicts, and it is puzzling that these leaders have chosen to 'misappropriate the most effective tool of the oppressed and downtrodden'.
Atwoli argues that if there are indeed constitutional or illegal actions by officials, the correct course of action is to identify them and take remedial measures, such as charging them in court or impeaching them if necessary.
He also notes that there are established mechanisms for reviewing legislation and declaring it null if it has been passed without proper input from the Senate.
The increasing prevalence of irrational action by our leaders might be a pointer to a failed governance experiment, perhaps explaining why Ekuru Aukot's 'Punguza Mizigo' campaign gained significant support.
