Kenyan actor and filmmaker Abel Mutua has sparked debate after comparing the country’s Constitution to toilet paper while questioning its practical value to ordinary citizens.

Mutua made the remarks while appearing on The Kisiangani Podcast, where he compared Kenyans to products and described the country as a company as he discussed how the country is run and how citizens relate to its institutions.

He also revisited previous comments in which he suggested that Kenya could benefit from temporarily suspending the Constitution to allow authorities to deal with what he described as “goons”.

“Ile time nilisema tunataka msee ako na a good head on their shoulders na affairs za hii country at heart aingie pale asuspend constitution adeal na wakora. Watu walipiga noise deadly,” he said.

Mutua continued by saying ignorance could be considered “bliss”, arguing that Kenyans might have a different view of the Constitution if they understood more about how Kenya truly operates.

“You see, iko msee alisema ignorance is bliss, mimi namwamini. Huyo msee alisema ukweli. After nijue what I know now, I wish singejua…this thing (Kenya) is a company. We are products…hii kitu unaita constitution, hiyo ni tissue.”

His comments have drawn sharp reactions online with many citing that the Freedom of Speech enshrined in that hallowed document is what gave him the right to speak his mind on the podcast.

The remarks come as the Constitution increasingly features in public debate ahead of the 2027 General Election. 

As recently as August 27, President William Ruto led this year’s Katiba Day celebrations at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, where he called for the country to move beyond marking the Constitution’s anniversary and focus on its implementation. 

“The Constitution serves two equally important principles: it establishes offices and restrains power,” Ruto said.

Ruto also described Katiba Day as a moment of “national accounting”, while calling on Kenyans to assess whether the Constitution’s promises are reflected in their daily lives.

President William Ruto has said the success of Kenya’s Constitution should be measured by the quality of life of citizens rather than how frequently its provisions are invoked.

“The ultimate test of constitutional implementation is not how often we quote the Constitution or invoke constitutionalism. It is how closely the daily experience of the citizen reflects the promise of the Constitution,” he said.

The Kenyan constitution was promulgated on August 27, 2010.