Former Education and Sports Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) Zack Kinuthia has launched a scathing attack on Parliament, accusing lawmakers of a worrying deficit in legislative competence and warning that ignorance in lawmaking is hurting ordinary Kenyans.
In a hard-hitting radio interview, the youthful politician dismissed the familiar chatter of succession politics and tribal alliances, instead focusing on the Hansard, Parliament’s official record, which he said exposes lawmakers’ failure to read and understand the very laws they pass.
Maragua MP Case: A “Bold” But Troubling Admission
Kinuthia singled out Maragua MP Mary Wamaua, who openly admitted she had not read the Finance Bill 2023, describing it as too large to scrutinize. She compared the Bill to the Bible, arguing that not even pastors read it in full, yet she went on to vote in favour of it.
The decision directly burdened her constituents with new taxes, including controversial levies on farm produce.
Kinuthia’s reaction was laced with irony.
“I actually congratulate her as bold,” he said, before sharply questioning how MPs who cannot master the Constitution, the supreme law, can genuinely claim to represent their people.
Governance is Not Guesswork
The former CAS likened the role of legislators to that of doctors, insisting that lawmaking must be rooted in expertise, not guesswork.
“Just as a patient cannot override a doctor’s diagnosis, MPs must be informed enough to listen to legal experts and make decisions rooted in knowledge, not convenience,” he argued.
He pointed to the avocado tax introduced in the Finance Bill as a cautionary tale. Farmers in Mount Kenya, he said, are now paying the price for poorly scrutinized legislation, a direct consequence of MPs voting blindly.
The Bigger Picture
Kinuthia’s critique underscores a larger warning, Kenya cannot afford leaders who legislate in ignorance. He insisted that elections must test more than party loyalty or tribal identity, competence, the ability to read, interpret, and defend the Constitution, should be the standard.
In a political climate often reduced to slogans and bravado, his words carried a sharp rebuke.
Ignorance is not boldness. Leadership is not about empty courage. And in the solemn theatre of Parliament, reckless lawmaking is dangerous.
