of Revenue Bill which is meant to provide for the equitable Division of Revenue raised nationally between the National and County Governments . Then there is the Equalization Fund which ( in theory ) is meant to provide basic services including water , roads , health facilities and electricity to previously marginalized areas .
In the early days of his Presidency , one of the places President Ruto first chose to visit was Homa Bay county . The President ’ s visit to the county was powerfully symbolic for many reasons . This writer was suitably impressed by the President ’ s excellent grasp of the county ' s social and economic challenges more so around road infrastructure . That attention to detail would be extremely useful in addressing the various development issues in different parts of the country .
Respect Institutions
Our governance institutions should work seamlessly regardless of who is in power . Critically , they should be left to work independently . Misusing or coopting them to advance nefarious political schemes should be a thing of the past . President Ruto has had firsthand experience of what it means to have the sheer might and reach of our state institutions used against you .
On the flip side , President Ruto was a beneficiary of unyielding processes courtesy of key institutions involved in the transition of power from Uhuru Kenyatta ’ s government to his own . Hopefully His Excellency has had time to reflect on these events and come to the realization that strong and impartial state institutions that will outlive us all are essential if only because of the transient nature of political power .
Address fault lines in the Constitution
On 13th May 2021 , a five-judge bench of the High Court bench made up of presiding judge , Justice Joel Ngugi , Justice George Odunga , Justice Jairus Ngaah , Justice Teresia Matheka , and Justice Chacha Mwita in a unanimous decision , declared the Building Bridges Initiative ( BBI ) process irregular , illegal and unconstitutional , and stopped the IEBC from conducting a referendum on the Constitution of Kenya ( Amendment ) Bill . One of their key findings read : The text , structure , history , and context of the Constitution of Kenya , 2010 all read and interpreted using the canon of interpretive principles decreed by the Kenyan Constitution yield the conclusion that the Basic Structure Doctrine is applicable in Kenya .
This was a pivotal moment for Kenya and the landmark ruling cemented the supremacy of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 . However , it is this writer ’ s humble opinion that charters of any kind are not meant to be static documents . They should be reviewed periodically to correspond to emerging political , social , and economic realities . After thirteen years , I am certain that we are all aware of the grey areas in our Constitution that need to be addressed to refine it .
Under President Ruto ’ s leadership , consensus with various stakeholders should be sought to start an inclusive and comprehensive constitutional review process in a way that satisfies Constitutional requirements and legal precedent . The creation of a Health Service Commission should be a matter of priority . We also need to ask the question ; do we really need 47 counties , or should they be a second tier of devolution under a dozen or so more viable regional governments ? And should Nairobi really be a county , or a special administrative unit run by the National Government ?
Inspire Kenyans to be better versions of themselves
In an interview conducted a decade ago with a member of one of the commissions set up courtesy of the National Accord and Reconciliation Act ( 2008 ), my interlocuter pointed out the main role of a President is to unite its people and make them work towards common goals . President Ruto ’ s handlers should avoid involving him in mundane activities such as launching free Wi-Fi spots in municipal markets . Such activities should be left to his underlings .
The Opposition on the other hand also has its part to play in the pursuit of a more perfect union for the hodgepodge of ethnicities known as Kenya :
Draw a line under the 2022 elections and start preparing for 2027
My advice to the Azimio Coalition is pursue electoral reforms - as is your right - but learn from the mistakes of 2022 ( there were many ) and look ahead . There is a sense in which every time Azimio luminaries mention their “ stolen victory ” their support base is denied the opportunity to heal from the events of August 2022 and push through their current circumstances , what with the harsh financial conditions and general socio-economic uncertainty .
Provide workable solutions to the country ’ s problems
The role of Opposition anywhere in the world is to question the government of the day and hold them accountable . To do that it must be responsible , respected , and united as a political entity and it must create policies that are relevant to the day-to-day lives of citizens . So , while it is Azimio ’ s right and duty to criticize Kenya Kwanza ’ s policies , it must provide alternatives as the government in waiting . If things are truly as bad as you say , then it behooves Azimio to provide a message of hope to all and sundry . And whilst I fully support Article 37 , I would also urge the coalition to find more creative ways to protest and air the grievances such as sit ins and music festivals which historically have been used to great effect in many parts of the world .
Identify and groom the next generation of leaders
The core leadership of the Azimio coalition are all accomplished and distinguished Kenyans who have made significant contributions to the political and socioeconomic development of our country . However , the truth is they are getting on a bit in age . There must be an acceptance that there has been generational change in Kenya ' s leadership ( not just in the political sphere ). The “ Young Turks ” of the 1990s should now let a younger , more vibrant , and dynamic group of leaders carry on with the great work they have done .
The next four years will be critical for Kenya . We are at an inflection point . In the short term , there are number of governance events that we cannot afford to get wrong : the National Dialogue Committee process ; the boundaries review exercise ; and reconstitution of the IEBC . We have an opportunity to address the numerous challenges that ail Kenya . It is my hope that we grab it .
Walter Nyabundi is a seasoned Social Researcher . You can commune with him on this or related matters via email at : Nyabundiw @ gmail . com .