Former premier and Azimio leader Raila Odinga has announced a series of rallies to protest the Kenya Kwanza government. He accuses the IEBC, the Supreme Court, President Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza administration of “stealing” his victory in the August 2022 polls and claims not to recognize President Ruto’s government, which was elected in one of the most constitutionally compliant and egalitarian elections in the nation’s history.
These claims come after voters exercised great patience and restraint while awaiting the due processes of both the IEBC and the Supreme Court. The Azimio coalition fully participated in these constitutional processes, as stipulated in the 2010 Constitution and other presidential election laws. To now undermine the outcome of the very processes they helped initiate is deceitful and shows contempt for the rule of law and constitutionalism. The Supreme Court dismissed the evidence presented by Azimio as “hot air” and confirmed Kenya Kwanza’s victory.
Article 37 of the Constitution guarantees every person the right, peaceably and unarmed, to assemble, demonstrate, picket, and present petitions to public authorities, but this right is not absolute. Kenyan citizens should enjoy Article 37 while also fulfilling their civic responsibilities under Article 10, which includes patriotism, national unity, the rule of law, democracy, and popular participation. By disregarding the constitutional and legal processes that birthed the Kenya Kwanza government, Azimio abandons its civic duties. It is a national joke that a coalition that fully participated in the most compliant electoral processes now seeks to undermine the outcome.
The rule of law rests on the principle that governmental authority is exercised only in accordance with written, publicly disclosed laws, adopted and enforced through established procedural steps—due process. Azimio submitted to these due processes while Kenyans patiently awaited the results, and therefore it is estopped from disputing an outcome it would have embraced had it been favorable. Constitutionalism, regulated by the supreme law of the land—the 2010 Constitution—requires stable, known laws, as argued by Niccolò Machiavelli and later by John Locke in his 1690 *Two Treatises of Government*, which outlines separation of powers, responsible government, popular sovereignty, an independent judiciary, individual rights, and the rule of law.
Kenyans should be alarmed by Azimio’s attempt to tamper with these sacred ideals that underpin progressive societies. Kenya prides itself on being a model democratic society and an economic powerhouse in East Africa, a status earned through the sacrifices of forefathers who fought oppressive regimes and colonial rule. It is therefore critical that all political parties and coalitions strictly observe the core ideals that have elevated Kenya’s regional standing. It defies logic for Azimio to act civilly during elections and then, five months later, seek to undermine constitutionalism and the rule of law.
Since his inauguration as the fifth head of state, President Ruto has shown great magnanimity, declaring his commitment to serve all Kenyans regardless of how they voted. His goodwill has been demonstrated through visits to Azimio strongholds, where he assured equal treatment and announced transformative projects aimed at economic progress, freedom, and stability. These initiatives reflect the Kenya Kwanza government’s focus on national development.
Public rallies will not serve the core interests of the majority of Kenyans nor the nation’s future. Every Kenyan has a civic duty to support President Ruto as he works to stabilize the economy. The opposition can contribute by offering objective criticism and advice within the bounds of contemporary egalitarian ideals.
*Gikuru Kamau is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and Chief Administrative Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy.*
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