Governance expert PLO Lumumba has said Kenya’s biggest problem is not the absence of laws or institutions, but the failure to apply them fairly and consistently.

Speaking on a local radio station on Monday, June 29, 2026, Lumumba said the country has a strong Constitution, established institutions and several legal safeguards, but enforcement remains weak when politics, ethnicity and power come into play.

Constitution

“I have heard people say that we have the best Constitution. But having the best Constitution is one thing; applying it is another.

“This is a country with no shortage of institutions and laws. We even changed the name from the Police Force, a colonial relic, to the Police Service, so that the police could truly be a service to the people,” Lumumba said.

According to him, Kenya’s challenge is not that the law is unclear. The problem is that institutions often fail to act with the firmness expected of them.

Lumumba said the promise of the 2010 Constitution can only be meaningful if state agencies apply the law equally, whether one is powerful, poor, in government, in opposition or outside politics.

Ethnic shield

He also raised concerns over leaders who hide behind ethnic support when facing possible arrest or accountability.

“There is now a crop of individuals in Kenya, across the political divide, in government and in the opposition, who believe they cannot be arrested because, if they are, members of their ethnic community will rise in their defence,” he stated.

Lumumba warned that this attitude weakens the rule of law and turns accountability into an ethnic contest.

He said leaders should not be protected from scrutiny simply because they belong to a certain community or political camp.

Call to organise

Despite his concerns, Lumumba urged Kenyans not to give up on the country.

“Let us remember that we can never stop agonising. It is in that agonising that we organise. I know there are people behind the scenes who are working tirelessly to make this nation better,” he said.

His remarks add to the debate on governance, police reforms, ethnic politics and accountability in Kenya.

Lumumba said Kenya can move forward only if institutions stop fearing political pressure and begin enforcing the law without favour.