Justice and Equity Council UK chapter chairperson Sebastian Onyango.[Courtesy]
A UK-based civil rights group has warned that Kenya risks public revolt over inequality, corruption and political impunity, saying the country’s leaders have failed to uphold promises made at independence.
In a statement issued on Monday, October 27, the Justice and Equity Council (UK Chapter) accused successive governments of turning Kenya into a state of “greed, deceit and contempt for the people.”
The group said the nation was nearing what it called a “reckoning” as public anger grows.
“There will be a reckoning as the sleeping giant awakens from this nightmare,” said chairperson Sebastian Onyango.
He noted that the government had not met its pledges of economic revival and unity, instead widening the gap between rich and poor.
The statement said the ruling elite had “perfected the art of betrayal,” adding that each election brings “the same promises, same coalitions and the same looting.”
It accused the Executive and Parliament of working together to block oversight and promote loyalty over competence.
“Parliament has become a marketplace where votes are traded for cash and contracts,” Onyango observed.
“Citizens are being taxed to poverty while hospitals fail and schools remain underfunded,” he added.
The group said opposition parties had “lost moral direction” and joined what it called the “Lootall brigade.” It warned that the same spirit that fought colonial rule and one-party control could rise again as patience among citizens runs out.
“The people will realise that salvation will not come from recycled politicians or tribal alliances but from themselves,” noted Secretary Janet Sutton.
The council urged citizens to demand accountability and protect the constitution, warning that frustration among young people could trigger what it called a “Gen Z revolt.”
The Justice and Equity Council based in Milton Keynes in the United Kingdom said it would continue to speak against state repression and economic mismanagement.
“The rot is deep but not irreversible,” Onyango explained, adding, “The political class may not see it coming but the giant is stirring.”
