Abstract:
Historical evidence consistently shows that Kenyans since colonial period have yearned for economic
and political emancipation. Although the country seems to have achieved substantial prosperity
compared to its peers in East and Central Africa, its full potential has been frustrated by an amorphous
entity commonly referred in Kenya as “Deep State”, “system”, “sirkal” or siri kali (deep secret),
“monster”, “dragon”, “mafia” or “leviathan” that is ill bent to benefit some few individuals at the
expense of the wider society through corruption and electoral fraud. The journey has been a painful
struggle foiled by the machinations of a hidden hand. The paper takes the reader on a historical journey
that confirms the existence of a shadowy entity that has all along frustrated Kenyans from giving
themselves the desired political leadership and prosperity. The questions that were asked in this paper
are, is the deep state real in Kenya and how can it be annihilated? The study discovered that “Deep
State” is an amorphous fluid entity that morphs depending on prevailing circumstances and interests of
those in political power, high ranks of the civil service, the judiciary, the police, businesspeople, and
their clientele. The study divulged entities that can completely extinguish the Deep State in Kenya for
the sake of the country’s political freedom and prosperity as pronounced by its freedom fighters at
independence.
