Former Mukurwe-ini Member of Parliament Kabando wa Kabando has made a scathing attack on the Parliament of Kenya, saying that it has failed to live up to the ideals enshrined in the constitution and the expectations of the people it represents.

In a statement on his X handle on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, Kabando lamented that the country is saddled with a legislature that it does not deserve – one that he declared is increasingly becoming defined by sycophancy, cronyism, and what he termed the ‘politics of kingship’.

To him, the contemporary form of the parliament negatively affects democratic accountability and destroys the trust the people have in the governance institutions.

“We have a parliament that Kenya does not deserve. Bunge is, unfortunately, dominated by kingship, sycophancy & cronyism. We need a break from a tootle-tootle legislature. For the Katiba spirit to surge, we must have a parliament that resonates with people’s trust,” Kabado stated.

Call for parliamentary independence.

Kabando further said that rather than being an independent arm of government with the authority to check the excesses of the executive, Parliament had devolved into a toothless legislature that could not or would not check the excesses of the executive. This, he cautioned, is a great danger to the health of the Kenyan democracy.

Citing the spirit of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, the former lawmaker emphasised the dire necessity of institutional renewal. He observed that the Constitution envisaged a strong, people-based Parliament that protects the interests of the people and promotes accountability and transparency at all levels of government.

The spirit of Katiba cannot flourish in a parliament overrun by the narrowest of interests, Kabando suggested, and demanded a radical break with the present political culture. He stressed that the lawmakers should reach out to the people who voted for them and serve national interests rather than self-interest or partisan interests.

His comments come at a time when there has been increased criticism of the Parliament by the political figures in the opposition, who are increasingly concerned about the independence of Parliament, financial responsibility, and the perceived closeness between the lawmakers and the executive.