In the 1990s, the Kenyan masses were miserable, fearful, and desperate for hope. Inflation went one way – upwards – while personal freedoms went the other way – downwards.
And when the angry, hungry masses, led by opposition leaders, hit the street to protest, the government came down hard on them: sending police to lob teargas cannisters at them, and chase after them with “rungus ”.
Sounds familiar?
Familiar because, fast-forward 30-plus years, it feels like the old script is unfolding. The government of today, like that of the ‘90s, remains highly uncomfortable with protests, no matter how peaceful.
Kenyans are Generally a Patient Lot
Does the administration appreciate how patient Kenyans are? Sometimes they remain quiet even when hungry. For example, they understood the 8.3 and 8.5 inflation rates for July and August 2022, respectively. They knew how politicians had dished out enormous amounts of money to try to influence voters, and the effect that behaviour has on the economy.
Too much liquidity with no corresponding goods and services equals inflation. So there was calm. And patience. And hope.
However, by March 2023, things had become dire, with inflation hitting 9.6% at one point. It was then that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga led a protest to decry the continuing increase in the prices of basic commodities.
And down came the teargas canisters. And “rungus”. And guns – all reminiscent of the 1990s. Yet the protests did not stop. They would pause and then resume. Sadly, some people were killed, and others were maimed – just like in the run-up to the multi-party democracy: the infamous ‘90s.
KANU is not in power, Kenya is no longer a One-Party State, and Moi has long rested
By the time the protests of 2023 began, it was apparent that the escalating economic hardships stemmed from the government’s poor economic discipline. And the masses were bearing the brunt just as they did in the ‘90s, when the price of bread and flour rose several times over within the blink of an eye.
With hindsight, probably KANU was not the real problem. Maybe there were just bad people associated with it, the way President Moi had said in his analogy of a public transport bus. He had said the driver could be doing a great job driving a bus, but if the conductor at the back is crooked, he will taint the entire bus service.
At the time, the bad bus conductors in KANU dined and wined with the proceeds of Goldenberg and other clandestine activities, while chanting loyalty pledges to the president. As a result, they tarnished the image of the “Jogoo,” and people demonized the party. Still, the buck stops where it must: and it did.
Have the Crooked Touts found their way into Government?
The question is: Have the crooked touts in Moi’s bus secured jobs in today’s bus service? Are they instigating violent crackdowns on protestors to conceal their bad economic behaviors? Might they be dishing out tokens to clandestinely secure the services of select members of a hungry police force? After all, the pain of high taxation and shrunken liberties is indiscriminate. Everyone feels it, whether in gumboots or police boots.
Otherwise, how else would the police have a field day throwing teargas at peaceful protestors as they did in March 2023? As they did in July 2024, as young Kenyans, the GenZs, protested the Finance Bill? As they recently did in Kitengela, as Sifuna, Babu Owino, and other leaders addressed a peaceful crowd?
ODM May Need to Think Long and Hard
If the Kitengela teargassing of a peaceful crowd on 15th February 2026 is anything to go by, the Oburu-led ODM could be playing with fire.
His faction may have had a smooth ride down at the coast on that day, and some of its members may have smiled at the harassment meted out on the Sifuna-led faction. But as the Swahili saying goes: “Ukiona kichwa cha mwenzio chanyolewa, chako kitie maji”. Basically, this means that the mistreatment of your friend could be directed at you next.
Unless, of course, Oburu does not mind wining and dining with today’s bad touts. The same bad elements that did not spare his brother, as he remained faithful to Kenya’s second liberation.
On which side of history are the leaders of ODM, the late former Prime Minister’s party, going to be? Will they be on record as having sabotaged the agitation for civil liberties? Having crushed the hopes of the 2024 Gen Zs who braced teargas, whips, and “rungus” to save the country from an oppressive and exploitative finance bill?
Time to Know Who is Who
It looks like Kenyans are beginning to cut President Moi some slack, seeing how today’s non-KANU regime is behaving. And across the aisle, they are beginning to realize that some ardent Raila supporters may not really share his vision.
Is it not true that by the time Raila called for the March 2023 protests, the inflation rate had shot above 9%? Is it also not a fact that the months that followed saw a gradual decline in inflation, which is now lingering at below 5%?
Things are not as easy as they may seem, many in government might wish to declare. However, numbers do not lie, and Kenyans can make objective comparisons. In mid-2021, when Uhuru Kenyatta’s government was still in power, what did economic experts say when the inflation rose to 6.1%? Brace for it:
They said it was the highest in 4 years. That said a lot about the economic environment of the day, especially considering that the corresponding GDP growth was past 7.5%! It is worth noting that 2021 was the first time in three years that oil exporters did impressive business, after the lull of the COVID-19 period. In other words, it was impressive that inflation did not rise further, given that global oil prices were rising.
All in all, irrespective of the regime in power, a democracy cannot attain or sustain economic prosperity when its citizens are constrained in their civil liberties. Basic freedoms, including freedom of expression, are fundamental to economic growth, sustenance, and prosperity.