YVONNE'S TAKE: Kenya's winter of revolt meets short memories

A hundred days, a period which we have witnessed the remarkable ability to forget and move on. It has been 100 days since June 25th, 2024, that now infamous day when Parliament was breached. That infamous day when MPs decided to very hurriedly pass a bill, in defiance of the very public dissent to it. The very public display of that dissent was obvious on the streets of just about every major town and city in this country.

It was also the day that Parliament was breached, in the climax of the day’s events. That day when many Kenyans died, shot and killed in various parts of the country, but most horrifically outside Parliament.

Yet here we are today. You would never know that all this happened just 100 days ago.

Let’s not forget what got the protestors out on the street in the first place—the clamour for good governance, for people-centred leadership. The push for public participation and involvement in decision-making is in its most sincere form.

Yet, 100 days since then, we have completely forgotten about this and moved on. In that time, we have returned to our old ways. From Adani to the university funding model, the rollout of the social health insurance scheme to replace NHIF—all of which have been characterised by confusion, but most importantly, marked by poor public participation. Kenyans remain unclear about the plans, who is paying for them, and how they will benefit. Wasn’t this what the protests were about? Openness and good governance?

In addition, in those 100 days, we have adopted the "accept and move on" mantra. The cabinet that was disbanded was reconstituted. Since June 25th, no single policeman has been charged with the killings that took place. We are not even sure how far the investigations are, or who is being investigated, if anyone.

In 100 days, some who were abducted or went missing in June and July are yet to be found. In 100 days, we have witnessed even more unexplained abductions. In 100 days, the political rhetoric is back like it never left. In 100 days, the fiercest critics of the government have now become its biggest evangelists. They now understand the government policy, articulate it, and defend it. 100 days later, the politicians are back to their cocoons, with an impeachment looming. 100 days later, the only austerity that is being practised is by the ordinary Kenyan, whose pockets continue to be squeezed as they watch a return to a jet-setting political elite.

Folks, 100 days ago, we were in what seemed like a moment of reckoning, when we had the opportunity to look ourselves in the mirror and have a very honest conversation about who we are, what we want, and how we want to get it. How quickly we have forgotten!