Prof. PLO Lumumba has criticised Parliament for remaining silent as violent killings rise across Kenya, citing the brutal murder of lawyer Kyalo Mbobu as a grim reminder of deteriorating public safety.
He warned that lawmakers risk losing credibility if they fail to confront insecurity head-on.
Speaking to the media in Nairobi on Wednesday, Lumumba said the murder of Mbobu was not an isolated case but part of a disturbing surge in killings that have left families devastated and communities living in fear.
“Parliament must rise to the occasion. The silence from our lawmakers in the wake of Mbobu’s killing is both troubling and unacceptable,” said Lumumba.
He argued that while Kenyans are mourning the loss of innocent lives, legislators have failed to provide leadership or demand urgent reforms to address insecurity.
“When citizens are killed in cold blood, the people’s representatives cannot afford to be spectators. They must use their platform to press for accountability and demand answers from security agencies,” he added.
Lumumba linked the murder to a worrying trend of violent crimes across the country, including gang attacks, domestic killings, and politically motivated violence. He warned that if unchecked, the situation could erode public trust in both the justice system and the country’s leadership.
“Kenya is becoming a nation where impunity flourishes, where human life is cheap, and where justice is elusive. We must ask ourselves: if Parliament will not speak for the voiceless, who will?” he posed.
The scholar, who has built a reputation for his outspoken views on governance, emphasised that the rising insecurity demands urgent structural responses, not just token arrests or temporary police crackdowns.
“We must strengthen institutions, invest in community policing, and above all, demonstrate political will. Unless Parliament shows moral courage, these killings will continue, and history will judge us harshly,” he warned.
Lumumba insisted that while police must do their part, ultimate responsibility lies with political leaders who shape policy and allocate resources.
“We have security agencies that are underfunded, poorly coordinated, and sometimes compromised. This is not an accident; it is a result of poor leadership. Parliament must ask hard questions, or else it becomes complicit through silence,” he said.
He urged Kenyans not to normalise the killings but to treat the Mbobu case as a national wake-up call. He said the value of human life must be restored through consistent application of the law and zero tolerance for impunity.
“We must never get to a point where murder becomes just another statistic on the evening news. Every killing is a story of shattered lives, broken families, and a country betrayed by its leaders,” Lumumba said.
He further noted that history shows societies that ignore rising insecurity eventually pay a heavy price in social breakdown and economic stagnation.
“If we do not act now, insecurity will suffocate the promise of our democracy, rob our young people of hope, and reduce our Parliament to a theatre of indifference,” he concluded.
The Mbobu murder now stands as a litmus test for Kenya’s leadership. Whether Parliament heeds Lumumba’s call or continues its silence will determine whether the country can stem the tide of killings or slide further into insecurity.
