Constitutional Reforms in Kenya
Introduction
The 20-year clamour for constitutional reforms in Kenya ended on August 4, 2010, when Kenyans overwhelmingly voted for the draft constitution by 67 per cent. On August 2010, President Kibaki promulgated the Constitution at a public function at Uhuru Park, Nairobi. And this was the culmination of a long journey going back to 90s and late 1980s. When President Kibaki came to power on December 30, 2002, the constitutional review process got a major boost.
The Constitution of Kenya Review Commission (CKRC) had collected and collated views, leading to the first constitutional conference, the Bomas conference, and a draft constitution. Parliament amended the draft constitution, but it was rejected during Kenya’s first referendum in November 2005. But a constitutional amendment followed the political deadlock over the outcome of the 2007 presidential elections. The power-sharing deal brokered by the Panel of Eminent Persons led to the creation of the Office of the Prime Minister and two deputies. The Interim Independent Electoral Commission of Kenya (IIEC) was formed to replace the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK). The Interim Independent Boundaries Commission (IIBRC) was also set up to seek views from Kenyans on constituency boundaries and demarcate them.
Parliament constituted the Committee of Experts (CoE) to identify contentious issues in the constitutional review process. The committee compiled a Harmonized Draft Constitution, revised it and eventually produced a draft constitution with the input of the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Review.
The Kenyan economy is expected to stabilise and develop into a thriving economic boom after the promulgation of the new constitution by President Mwai Kibaki on august 24, 2010 as its implementation process begins. This is expected to be realized in the immediate long run despite the current galloping inflationary situation since the beginning of the year that has since seen the inflation rates
The 20-year clamour for constitutional reforms in Kenya ended on August 4, 2010, when Kenyans overwhelmingly voted for the draft constitution by 67 per cent. On August 2010, President Kibaki promulgated the Constitution at a public function at Uhuru Park, Nairobi. And this was the culmination of a long journey going back to 90s and late 1980s. When President Kibaki came to power on December 30, 2002, the constitutional review process got a major boost.
The Constitution of Kenya Review Commission (CKRC) had collected and collated views, leading to the first constitutional conference, the Bomas conference, and a draft constitution. Parliament amended the draft constitution, but it was rejected during Kenya’s first referendum in November 2005. But a constitutional amendment followed the political deadlock over the outcome of the 2007 presidential elections. The power-sharing deal brokered by the Panel of Eminent Persons led to the creation of the Office of the Prime Minister and two deputies. The Interim Independent Electoral Commission of Kenya (IIEC) was formed to replace the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK). The Interim Independent Boundaries Commission (IIBRC) was also set up to seek views from Kenyans on constituency boundaries and demarcate them.
Parliament constituted the Committee of Experts (CoE) to identify contentious issues in the constitutional review process. The committee compiled a Harmonized Draft Constitution, revised it and eventually produced a draft constitution with the input of the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Review.
The Kenyan economy is expected to stabilise and develop into a thriving economic boom after the promulgation of the new constitution by President Mwai Kibaki on august 24, 2010 as its implementation process begins. This is expected to be realized in the immediate long run despite the current galloping inflationary situation since the beginning of the year that has since seen the inflation rates