Alex Ikambi
Citizenship at the Margins of the Republic
Citizenship is often presented as a settled legal status—a clear boundary between those who belong and those who do not. Constitutions define it, passports...
Why Citizens Rarely Hold Counties Accountable
And when we woke up, we had these bodies. They're like, except I'm having them! Oh, I think we should just stay friends. You'll...
Has Devolution Delivered What the Constitution Promised?
When Kenya adopted the 2010 Constitution, devolution was one of its most transformative promises. By creating 47 county governments, the Constitution sought to reverse...
County Assemblies: The Weakest Link in Devolution?
When Kenya adopted the 2010 Constitution, devolution was hailed as a transformative promise—bringing services closer to the people, enhancing accountability, and correcting decades of...
Global Elections and Lessons Kenya Should Learn
Around the world, elections are increasingly becoming stress tests for democratic systems. From the United States to India, from Senegal to Argentina, recent electoral...
Political Parties as Vehicles, Not Institutions
In theory, political parties are meant to be institutions. They should embody ideology, articulate policy alternatives, recruit and train leaders, aggregate citizen interests, and...
State Appointments: Merit, Loyalty, or Ethnicity?
In every administration, state appointments are presented as routine acts of governance—necessary steps to operationalise policy, fill institutional gaps, and ensure the smooth running...
The Politics of Budget-Making: Who Really Benefits?
A national budget is often presented as a neutral financial plan—a technical document outlining how public money will be raised and spent for the...
Kenya’s Debt Debate: Who Should Be Held Accountable?
Kenya’s burgeoning public debt has become one of the most contentious issues in national politics and economics. With total public debt exceeding KSh 11...
Why the Capital Struggles to Govern Itself
Nairobi, Kenya’s capital and economic heartbeat, is a city of immense promise—and persistent dysfunction. As the country’s political, commercial, and cultural nerve center, Nairobi...
