Imagine you were afflicted with a horrible disease that threatens to be the last one you will ever suffer from. Sadly, in a quest for a cure you learn that the only doctor who knows how to treat this disease is sick from the same illness. Unbelievably, the doctor who is now on his deathbed says you can make an appointment with him in the same hospital where he’s admitted ? Would you go? Would you trust him with your life? I am sure, “doctor! heal thyself” would instantaneously have a melody in your head, right?

Likewise, it’s clear that Kenyans have no faith in their Parliament to represent them. How then does a compromised and captured Parliament give us the Cabinet we need? How does the same Parliament that could not impeach the impeachable be trusted with vetting of the new Cabinet? Can the corrupt be trusted to choose the righteous? In a figure of speech, can hell be trusted to confirm that the nominees are angels? Isn’t it called madness when people do the same thing and expect different results? Aren’t these the same blind men and women who gave us the Cabinet now fired? Let me ask another way.

Can hell vet angels?
Or prisoners vet wardens?
Does the desert quench thirst?
Or hot water dry clothes?
Is it possible for dirt to clean?
Or for air to be solid?
Can death bear life?
Or darkness aid a dying flame?
Can a sewer be pure?
Or a sin be holy?
Do the blind show the way?
Or the deaf teach how to listen?
Can this Parliament Represent?
When it’s shackled with yellow?

Efforts to recall the unrepresentative Members of Parliament are underway. In fact, the hurriedly signed law to reconstitute IEBC was ostensibly to make way for by-elections of the ‘traitor’ MPs. Since, We the People, already feel that any decisions made by the current Parliament is not representative of our views, how then are we supposed to believe that the next group of Cabinet appointees represent the people’s wishes? Isn’t that what this arm of a tripod government supposed to do?

Unreassuring is the sycophancy that brought the president here still arrogantly displayed. The majority has no backbone and simply regurgitates what they are told by the president or his agents and therefore incapable of reading the times. Would such a lot be trusted to have the independence of mind to vet a group that will make or kill this Nation?

Blinded by what has always been, there is no doubt that the president’s cabinet nominees will first and foremost be made to appease the opposition. This will be done to dim some flames of outrage as Ruto walks on the tightrope of his creation. As it has been for the last decade, opposition is not a solace anymore. The Leader of Opposition, clearly unable to read the times too, came close to a dreaded handshake that is the genesis of most of our problems to the consternation of all.

But Gen-Z were quick to call out the octogenarian, shy by one, with an unmistakable megaphone. They said in many ways that he too, even though theoretically in opposition, does not represent them. After boldly showing suspicious unity at the foot of KICC ready to pick up the crucifix, they abruptly retreated to form a choir now singing that Ruto must carry his own cross. Thus, the opposition, not out of their own volition, rather their deaf ears were induced to listen to loud thunders from Gen Z so as not to go down with Ruto. What this moment clearly revealed is that even the opposition as currently constituted is inherently opportunistic. But times have changed and the new greetings by Gen-Z that is now our primary check and balance jolted them to their abrupt reality. What a beautiful time we live in politically!

Democracy is about the majority. The majority of this nation is below 30 years of age. The all-men picture at KICC after IEBC’s law signing doesn’t not represent Kenya. In the shot were Kenya’s political heavy-weights that traditionally called the shots and agreed with anything so long as they would benefit. So blind was the photo-op, it lacked a single woman let alone a Gen-Z. In this single photo, was all-male political conglomerate in this country whose voice and view is represented in Parliament NOT those of traditional Wanjiku, obliterated Hustler or now pushed-to-the-corner Gen-Z.

As we gaze into the horizon for a refuge that speaks for the people, we won’t talk about the Church. The brown envelopes long drowned them and have no legitimacy to authoritatively address the matter at hand on our behalf. The vetting of the Cabinet must be done by the Kenyan public no matter how strenuous and messy. This is the moment that the Sovereign, We the People of Kenya will have to exercise our power directly. Yeah! 54 million representing themselves through google forms, online assemblies or vote-by-text to approve the nominees. The vetting must be done by Kenyans of all walks of life. We must brave this mess as we have a Parliament that does not represent the people and we don’t have the luxury of time to wait for their recall or their righteous replacement.

Who do we turn to now? In my humble assessment, LSK (Law Society of Kenya) is a body that has defended Kenyans many times and its current leadership enjoys demonstrable trust of the people. I say leadership as not all its members foot the bill. In a proud and unprecedented moment, LSK’s President, Faith Odhiambo recently rejected a presidential appointment that would have benefited her personally. In a moment meant to silence her voice and credibility, she promptly subjected herself to the fidelity of the law. That is, that Odhiambo (evening), Faith chose to be faithful to the law. The vetting must include the leadership of this institution that enjoys trust capital that currently surpasses all in the Land.

The vetting of the right Cabinet should not end there, all Principal Secretaries (PS) are essentially part of the Cabinet. Fresh vetting of new PSs that represent the face of Kenya which means, Age, Gender, Ethnic and Region must be undertaken concurrently. To leave this unattended is to whitewash the Executive. The alternative is for the President to seek a fresh mandate from the people by calling for election as soon as IEBC is constituted. The other option is to tender his resignation if he’s unable to submit himself to the will of the people which does not necessarily wait for five years to express itself.

Courtesy of arrogance and opulence, it’s now dawned on Kenyans that a lot of Executive Governance hinges on the Cabinet. At the core, they are the source of bills that become law not just executing the law. We now know, our Sovereignty can be undermined if they are beholden to foreign entities. The finance bill‘s reflections have taught us that the treasury was under the influence of the IMF in drafting Finance Bill 2024. In my first book Dollar Altar (2014), I have a chapter titled, The Banker is the Governor focusing on how the IMF makes our laws unconstitutionally. Some have said that the bill was not even drafted in Kenya. Who wouldn’t believe it seeing that six Congressmen of the United States were present to oversee the midwifing of this draconian law outrightly rejected by the people of Kenya? Some have even said that theirs was a coercive presence signifying that Kenya had essentially become a captured State of the U.S not just a Non-NATO ally. A military designation now rejected by the Kenyan people who are calling for its scraping as it didn’t have their representative input.

Given this risk of encroachment on our Sovereignty through the Cabinet, the persons running for the Office of the President must reveal the names of his/her Cabinet before we elect them going forward. This will safeguard a constitutional blind spot that believed that MPs are Delegates who will always put people first before the Executive. The ballot will be the first place the people will check the executive-in-the-making should the Parliament fail in the constitutional duty like the present one has!

If we do not crack this one, ‘hell’ will always vet angels in Kenya?

Written by Robert Mwangi, MBA
Author of President’s Advisor,
Money Circles, Five Fingers
& Dollar Altar. He also composed Ziba Ufa and Bururi Mwonju.
www.FiveFingersNow.com