Lawyer Willis Otieno has launched a blistering attack on the legislature, branding MPs as "trained seals" who have traded their oversight mandate for sycophancy.

The scathing critique follows a parliamentary spectacle where lawmakers chanted loyalty slogans—"Tutam! Tutam!"—while the economy nosedives, exposing a dangerous erosion of the separation of powers that threatens to leave the common mwananchi defenseless against executive excess. Otieno, a deputy leader designate for the Safina Party, did not mince his words, accusing the august House of becoming a clearinghouse for bad policy rather than a check on power.

The "Tutam" Debacle

The chants, intended to signal unwavering support for the regime, have struck a nerve in a country grappling with the high cost of living. For Otieno, the display was not just embarrassing; it was a betrayal of the voters who queued for hours to elect independent representatives.

"They have become parasites feeding on a nation they were elected to protect," Otieno wrote in a fiery online post. "They clap like trained seals while the country burns."

• Inherited Loyalty: Otieno argues that this blind allegiance is a symptom of "inherited poverty," where leaders are judged by their tribe or party rather than their performance.
• Economic consequences: When MPs rubber-stamp tax hikes and loans without scrutiny, the result is the economic bleeding currently being felt in every household.
• The Role of Parliament: The constitution envisions an independent legislature; Otieno warns that we are sliding back into the era of an imperial presidency.

A Call to Wake Up

His sentiments echo a growing frustration among the middle class and civil society. The performance of "loyalty" in parliament is increasingly seen as an insult to the suffering of the electorate.

Otieno's challenge to the MPs is simple: stop chanting and start working. The economy does not respond to slogans, and neither will the voters in 2027.