Role of Kenya’s Opposition political parties still greatly misunderstood

NAIROBI: There is a general opinion expressed sporadically that Kenya does not have an effective Opposition. Some people go further to suggest that a “responsible” Opposition should tell the Government how to correct its mistakes and hence how to run the country. All these opinions are wrong. They miss the point regarding the role of the Opposition in a competitive multiple party democracy.

In such a democracy the Opposition is the government “in waiting” not the actual government. It prepares itself and waits to take over from the existing government either when the latter falls before elections or when it is defeated at elections. In the meantime it is the cardinal duty of the Opposition to expose all the weaknesses, misdeeds, failures, acts of incompetence and disservice to the people by the incumbent government.