Abel Mutua is not shying away from controversy.
The celebrated Kenyan filmmaker and content creator sparked a wave of reactions online after making some eyebrow-raising remarks about Kenya’s constitution during a sit-down on the Kisiangani Podcast on Thursday, September 24.
Why does Abel Mutua want the constitution suspended?
Seated on a couch in the podcast studio, Mutua did not mince his words. He called for a leader with a clear head and genuine love for the country to get into power — and then suspend the constitution for five minutes to deal with those breaking the law.
Mutua argued that the document Kenyans hold dear offers little real protection when it matters most.
“The thing you call a constitution is like tissue — it does not protect you anywhere,” he said. “Don’t lie to yourself. Find yourself in trouble, and you will see you are not protected.”
He pointed to a frustrating cycle he said plays out repeatedly in the justice system: a person presents solid evidence, takes the accused to court, only for them to walk free within 24 hours on bail. Once released, he claimed, witnesses begin disappearing.
“You cannot deal with them with this constitution. The system is messed up,” he added.
Mutua went further, suggesting that criminal networks have burrowed deep into state institutions and learned to manipulate the law to their advantage.
He used Kenya’s illicit alcohol trade as an example, arguing that the problem persists not because authorities lack the capacity to act, but because too many people profit from it.
Those who try to stand in the way, he warned, are either bought off or killed.
“The government is a company, and we are products,” he said, adding that he wished he did not know what he now knows about how power operates.
He wrapped up by urging Kenyans to try new leaders for once, suggesting that fresh faces in power might be willing to take the kind of decisive action he believes the current crop has been unwilling to take.
The clip spread quickly on social media, drawing a mixed bag of responses:
@offsidefeelings_09:
“They are always wise until they appear on a podcast.”
@_https_s3an._:
“But it’s true, the Constitution doesn’t work. People die every day, and cases are sinking.”
@cold_vision5:
“He’s only trying to tell us our leaders and law enforcers don’t care about the Constitution.”
@minasha22.ja:
“Mkuru is right, but hamwezi elewa kabisa.”
@loskul_:
“He is saying the truth, but the level of ignorance in this country is so high.”
