Kenya’s political context has changed so much in the past 2 years since 2024. Headlines are riddled with stories of political powerplay struggles, journalists’ and citizens’ safety (it’s deteroriation rather) since the June 2024 protests, rising cases of sponsored political violence just to mention a few. These glaring and noisy headlines that spark basic conversations between people with the casual ‘na hii Kenya yetu??’ comments that have been the order of the day for a time now.

Although Kenyans are known for their high engagement with politics, there has been a quieter and more subtle shift the past couple of years. Not that they have stopped caring but are instead becoming jaded. Jaded that the same song of change has been sang over and over again, but it remains just that. A song. A broken record. Year after year, election after election young Kenyan’s have heard and danced to the tune of promised change without seeing representation from people who are a reflection them and stand to fix the current circumstances.1

Study shows that public trust in governance institutions has reached a critical low with about 44% for Parliament and 36% for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). The quiet shift mentioned earlier? A move by youth from traditional political participation of attending large rallies and church services with honorary attendance by political actors, to an era of digital activism and the promotion of civic responsibility to exercise their voting rights with movements like the ‘Uko kadi’ campaign. The reason? A demand for accountability. However, the accountability being sought out does not just come during a moment of crisis like in June 2024 but is sustained through civic participation. So how can civic duty be exercised beyond the ballot and in between electoral cycles to realize this dream?

Play 1: Devolution as the Solution on Paper

Kenya’s implementation of devolution is embedded in Chapter 11 of the Constitution. The devolved system of the county government was established with the aim to promote accountable exercise of power, recognise the right of communities to manage their own affairs, give powers of self-governance to the people and enhance their participation in exercise of the powers of the state and in making decisions affecting them.2 Matters affecting county health facilities, feeder roads, water supply, waste management are all functions established under the Fourth Schedule of the constitution3.

Public finance is an aspect of accountability that is consistently part of the conversations among Kenyans. What happens to the funds set aside for development of roads? County hospitals? These are concretely enshrined in Article 201(a)4 and subsequently supported by the County Integrated Development Plans (CIDP) when carrying out county-specific budgeting. These plans require input citizens at the ward level to determine how the funds are distributed accordingly at the grassroots. The first step in pushing for accountability would be to be informed. Engage meaningfully with the content of discussions at said forums when the plans are still in drafting stage. This will allow you to turn the complaints into specific and answerable questions for your representatives and effectively start shifting from a periodic civic actor only during electoral cycles to influencing decisions.

Play 2: Youth as builders

The common perception of young Kenyans being loud on digital spaces and only protesters of the day only serve to diminish the shift that is being shifted. The youth of today aren’t just disruptors they are future architects, builders of the next civic system. Take for example the story of Ellen Kawila who started by explaining Public Finance concepts on TikTok in 2024. She has since built the TrackMinster platform that links MPs, Governors and MCAs to their constituency’s or county’s audit findings and budget utilisation rates5. That same energy is being channelled by young advocates, researchers and data analysts to file petitions to under Articles 118 and 119 of the Constitution, all in a bid to demand for accountable and transparent practices for policy legislation and implementation.

Play 3: Hope Practice Session

Blind optimism won’t bring about the change we desire for our country. It’s in an active and more grounded realization that we as citizens have the right tools, data and avenues to hold those at the helm accountable for the direction we take but only if we utilize them not only in moments of crisis but consistently throughout our journey.

So, start somewhere. Look up your county’s CIDP or better yet use Mzalendo’s track your MP feature and follow how your representatives are operating on a day-to-day basis and show up at the next public participation forum to contribute to the change you want to see. Hope shouldn’t just be a song it should be a practice.