Gwada Ogot

‎Kenya’s governance system, modeled on the two-sided Westminster parliamentary structure, is a borrowed cloak that is ill-fitting, uninspired, and increasingly counterproductive. Imported from Britain during the colonial period, it was designed for a society starkly different from our own: one split between landed aristocrats and industrial workers. 

Kenya is a culturally diverse nation comprising over 40 distinct ethnic groups, each with its own governance traditions, languages, and social codes. Trying to force-fit such a rich diversity into a Eurocentric framework not only fails to reflect our realities but also undermines the organic roots of our political heritage.

‎It is time we reimagine Kenya’s governance structure, not as a replication of foreign models, but as a hybrid, authentic model we might call the Ethnic Commonwealth System (ECS). This new structure would be built upon the very foundation that has sustained African societies for millennia: the tribe.

This is not to suggest a return to ethnic fiefdoms, but rather a formal recognition that ethnic identity is not a weakness to be erased, but a strength to be harnessed.

‎

‎The Flaws of the Westminster Superstructure

‎The Westminster model is adversarial, predicated on binary opposition: government versus opposition, labour versus capital, left versus right. These polarities are historically meaningful within British society, born of class conflict during the industrial revolution. 

Kenya’s reality is more nuanced. Our conflicts have less to do with class and more to do with ethnic exclusion, resource capture, and the alienation of traditional authority.

Furthermore, the current structure was conceived in the age of postal mail, not in the era of digital connectivity and real-time feedback loops. It is a slow, lumbering mechanism designed for small populations and homogenous societies. 

Kenya is youthful, mobile, culturally vibrant, and multi-ethnic. Our governance needs speed, fluidity, subsidiarity, and authenticity. The imposed system lacks consanguinity, i.e., it is not of our blood or spirit.

‎

‎The Unacknowledged Power of Tribe

‎Attempts to deny, suppress, or neutralize ethnicity in Kenya’s political discourse have only entrenched it further in the subconscious of the electorate. Political parties masquerade as national entities, yet they draw heavily from ethnic blocs. Ethnicity remains the strongest form of social solidarity—more binding than party affiliation or class.

‎We cannot wish our tribes away. Nor should we. The tribe is not the enemy of the nation; it is the building block of it. Each ethnic group holds governance codes embedded in elders’ councils, age sets, clan responsibilities, and conflict resolution protocols. These are not primitive relics—they are advanced systems of consensus, moral accountability, and communal stewardship.

What Is the Ethnic Commonwealth System?

‎‎The Ethnic Commonwealth System (ECS) envisions a new structure where Kenya is restructured into an assembly of self-aware ethnic nations, united in a commonwealth governed by shared values, joint economic goals, and a central guiding constitution. Its features would include:

‎‎1. Ethnic Representation Assembly (ERA): Each recognized ethnic community elects or selects delegates from within their traditional structures to represent them at the national level. These delegates are answerable to cultural councils back home, not political party bosses.

‎2. Council of Elders and Culture (CEC): A constitutionally recognized body composed of senior cultural representatives from every community. They are custodians of heritage, inter-ethnic harmony, and moral conduct in public leadership.

‎3. National Commons Executive (NCE): A central coordinating government elected through a rotational mechanism that ensures leadership is never monopolized by any one ethnic group. It is accountable to the ERA and guided by interethnic consensus-building processes, not adversarial politics.

‎4. Devolved Ethnic Development Boards: Ethnic communities would have semi-autonomous boards responsible for language preservation, economic development, environmental stewardship, and cultural education, working within a broader national framework of equity and cooperation.

5. Digital Governance Backbone: Unlike colonial systems, the ECS would leverage 21st-century technology—AI, blockchain, digital ID systems—to ensure transparency, direct public participation, and data-driven decision-making at both ethnic and national levels.

‎

‎A Commonwealth of Equals

‎The ECS proposes not a return to ethnic division but a structured acknowledgment of our uniqueness. Rather than denying the tribe, we elevate it. Rather than suppressing culture, we embed it in governance. The vision is of a Kenya that looks like Kenya—diverse, dignified, and decentralized.

‎‎This model would strip political elites of the power to manipulate ethnic identity while simultaneously allowing communities to retain pride and autonomy. It invites collaboration between ethnic groups based on mutual benefit, not zero-sum competition.

‎Conclusion

‎The current system is a colonial hangover—external, imposed, and outdated. It is a crude political prosthesis in need of replacement. What Kenya requires is a system rooted in its soul, mirroring its people’s rhythms and realities. The Ethnic Commonwealth System is not an act of division but one of healing—reclaiming what was disrupted, and reassembling it into a truly Kenyan democracy. The time has come for us to govern ourselves as ourselves.

Gwada Ogot is a distinguished researcher and author known for his critical contributions to African socio-political discourse and cultural anthropology. 

He has published several books:

1. The Push for Executive Term Limits in Africa (2012) – A timely critique of leadership ascensions and rotations across the continent.

2. Luo: Great Light of Nations (2018) – A spiritual exploration of the Luo people's history, language, and philosophy through biblical lenses. 

3. The Cannabis Testament: Great Light of Canaan (2023) – An in-depth study of the cannabis plant's spiritual, medicinal, and economic dimensions.

The latter two titles are available through NURIA Bookstore.

In addition to his published works, Ogot is the copyright holder of the groundbreaking Universal Theory of Genital Modifications. Registered in 2014, the theory establishes a direct correlation between circumcision practices and water scarcity, offering a novel perspective on the interplay between environmental conditions and cultural rituals.