In the heart of our 2010 Constitution lies a radical promise: “All sovereign power belongs to the people of Kenya.” These words, enshrined in Article 1, mark a deliberate break from the colonial shackles of the 1963 Constitution, which positioned public officials as extensions of distant authority, lording over citizens as if they were subjects. The 2010 Constitution was a covenant—a declaration that the people, not their leaders, are the ultimate arbiters of power. Yet, 15 years later, a pervasive “overlord culture” persists in Kenya’s public service and state offices, where citizens are treated as inferior, their dignity eroded by…
Author: By Lawi Sultan Njeremani
President William Ruto ,opposition Leader Raila Odinga flanked by several leaders from political parties after the signing of IEBC bill that was developed from NADCO report into law. [FILE/Standard] On August 6, 2025, President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga signed a statement establishing a five-member committee to oversee implementation of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report and a 10-point agenda. The aim was to address Kenya’s governance, devolution, youth empowerment challenges, leadership and integrity, the right to protest, the national debt, the fight against corruption, stopping wastage of public resources, promoting sovereignty of the people, rule of law and constitutionalism.…
A joint session of National Assembly, the Senate and East Africa Legislative members.[FILE/Standard] I have long held a critical view of the Petitions to Parliament (Procedure) Act of 2012, particularly when measured against the robust rights accorded to children under the 2010 Constitution. The Act constructs a procedural labyrinth that effectively disenfranchises children — a group explicitly protected and empowered by the Constitution. Article 53 elevates children’s status, guaranteeing them education, protection, and the paramountcy of their best interests. In my assessment, the current petition process is a structural barrier that undermines these constitutional promises, silencing children on matters that…