These important offices have let Kenyans down, we need change

If we let the integrity of our institutions be cannibalised by both acts of omission or commission but did not stop it in time, we have ourselves to blame. [iStockphoto]

This country has travelled a long and winding path to democracy. Lives were lost, communities were traumatised and the conscience of the entire nation was scarred in part by the tragedy that was 2008 post-poll violence and more. The world watched in horror as Kenyans descended on one another with a destructive fury as though some satanic trance had descended upon us.

For a country that had long appeared as an oasis of peace in this troubled part of the continent, this was indeed a moment of reckoning. We quickly learned the value of strong institutions. When we speak of the peaceful 2022 elections and the subsequent seamless transfer of power, we must appreciate the role of institutions we created through Agenda Four reforms and the new Constitution and their significance in placing us firmly on the path of a fledgling democracy.