Since Kenya’s presidential election in August 2022, the new government has been in conflict with the opposition.

In democratic systems, such conflict is healthy; it can enhance governance. But it must not interfere with the government’s ability to perform its constitutional functions.

In Kenya, the friction between the government and opposition led to mass protests in March 2023. The opposition organised them around rising taxes and the high cost of living.

If carried out peacefully, political protests can deepen democracy. Kenya’s have often deteriorated into violence, however. Heavy-handed government interventions have then created even more violence. This threatens the sustainability of the country’s democratic institutions.

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The opposition recently called off street protests to engage the government in dialogue. I have studied democratization and political economy in Africa for more than two decades, and in my view, these talks are an opportunity to strengthen Kenya’s democratic systems.

Both the government and the opposition have a duty to work towards creating a Kenya in which all citizens can live peacefully, by the values that are important to them, and elect who they want.

But for this to happen, each party to the talks must understand its constitutional role. It must play its part constructively and within the law. The opposition should be a check on the exercise of government power, but it must not obstruct governance. The opposition should evaluate public policy and offer alternatives but allow the government to formulate the national agenda.