International Commission of Jurists of Kenya (ICJ) Deputy Executive Director Demas Kiprono has castigated the Kenyan political class for advancing its own political agendas at the expense of ordinary Kenyans.

Speaking on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, on the state of civil society and governance in the country, Kiprono singled out parliament over its unwillingness to deliver on various important aspects envisaged in the constitution.

Kiprono contends that the arm of government seems keen solely on legislation aimed at bestowing powers and privileges upon them.

“We gave ourselves a constitution to address issues and the patterns we had seen needed to be fixed, such as an overbearing presidency, a not very independent judiciary, and the lack of devolved units,” he said.

“We had certain expectations, but what we have seen in the last 15 years is a political class willing to take up the instruments that the constitution gives them, but unwilling to allow the constitution to function as it should have been. They are only interested in how to capture and keep power.”

The director cited a case of politicians prioritising the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report while relegating important proposals such as the two-thirds gender rule to the background.

The NADCO Report, which emerged from bipartisan negotiations following the contested 2022 elections, has become central to political discussions about reforming Kenya’s governance structure.

“What we see is a political class that has come together, and the coming together is not for the good of the people. Their priority is the NADCO report, which is about political expediency, creating positions and offices and their comfort, and not Kenyan plight, civic space, or promise of economic and cultural rights,” he added.

The director also waded into the ongoing CDF impasse, where the MPS are fighting for control of the funds despite the courts pronouncing itself explicitly on the matter.

“The MPs are supposed to be legislators, not implementers of it. What we see now is an attempt to inculcate CDF into the constitution, yet the Supreme Court spoke and said it violates the structures. So we are in a quagmire where the political class is only interested in the constitution except when giving powers and privileges,” he added.