Kenya's Cry for Justice: Are We Truly Free?

Written by: Hussein Waiyaki

Edited and Reviewed by: Tex Wambui

My heart bleeds for my country. This isn’t just another critique of a finance bill crafted by the IMF or the long-term impacts of GMO products. Nor is it about the usual political maneuvering by leaders claiming to form ‘broad-based governments.’ No. This is an appeal far greater than words can express, and it matters deeply for Kenya—our beautiful land, rich in minerals, majestic scenery, and nature trails. Our country is crying out for leadership, genuine leadership, to fill the void that has left us suffering for too long.

I refuse to accept that my great-grandfather was buried alive by colonialists for us to continue facing abductions, killings, death threats, and police brutality. “Kenya is like a beautiful lady married to a narcissist,” said my friend and fellow thinker, Kasmuel Macoure, a sentiment I sadly find true.

I do not wish to meet the same fate as my great-grandfather, yet I feel the weight of the options dwindling. He was a martyr, buried alive upside down for daring to resist land alienation and cultural terrorism. That image sticks with me—his sacrifice, and the question it raises: What have we gained from democracy? Are we truly free?

We face a democracy that falls short of the freedom our forefathers fought for. Headlines about young Kenyans—missing, abducted, or found dead—are all too common. Maybe we are all mad, or perhaps Kenya truly is stuck in a toxic, narcissistic relationship, unable to escape.

I ask again, what is Morara Kebaso doing wrong? Demanding accountability from a system we elected? Isn’t that what democracy should be about?

As Edgar Watson Howe wisely said, we must be truthful in our everyday lives before we can be truthful in patriotism. Democracy was meant to replace outdated, oppressive forms of government, but it seems it works only in theory. We have entrusted power to a few, but that power now assaults the constitution it was supposed to protect.

As Abraham Lincoln once said, “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.” Kenya's leadership is failing that test, time and again. Intimidation, arbitrary arrests, political witch hunts—this is not the democracy we fought for. The "beautiful lady" Kenya is trapped in a controlling relationship with leadership that refuses to let go.

What happens when our youth—guilty only of speaking the truth—are inundated with threats, arrests, and worse? What kind of country forces its citizens to flee and go into hiding just for seeking transparency?

We are deeply disappointed with a system we once believed in. A regime that came to power through a narrative of ‘hustlers’ and ‘rich versus poor’ has betrayed the very people it promised to lift. We were revolutionaries once, but as James Aggrey Orengo said, sometimes revolutions consume their own children.

This is the crux of my appeal: We, as citizens, must scrutinize the personal and public lives of politicians. If you seek public office, you are asking for our collective trust in your abilities and character. But too many voters lack the information to make informed decisions, and the personal lives of politicians often reveal more about their true character than their public personas.

The truth is a sword and a shield, and I wield it freely. The time has come to hold our leaders accountable and demand the leadership Kenya deserves.