Shaka Zulu

Nyinyi ni Sifuna,sindio? I have deliberately reserved my thoughts on Edwin Sifuna.There is, however, something about the manner in which we manufacture political heroes that I find worth interrogating. On 25 June 2024, Sifuna stepped between police officers and protesters at Parliament, attempting to prevent officers from firing at young Kenyans. It was a significant intervention and certainly deserves acknowledgement. But must one courageous moment become a lifetime exemption from scrutiny? I ask because politics is not a collection of photographs. A politician must be examined in the totality of his public conduct, his political associations and the company in which he chooses to exercise power. These are serious allegations about inducements and the senator's integrity from the February 2026 confrontation between the Council of Governors and the Senate's County Public Accounts Committee. Sifuna was among four senators publicly named by the governors, who accused them of intimidation, harassment and attempted extortion during oversight proceedings. Sifuna denied the allegations and challenged the governors to produce evidence. I am not suggesting that the accusations are findings of guilt they are not. But I do wonder why we are so quick to confer moral authority on politicians and are so reluctant to subject them to the ordinary discomfort of public accountability. A man can stand between a policeman and a protester and still be required to answer questions about his subsequent conduct. Ni hayo tu kwa sasa.