The 2010 Constitution of Kenya was the culmination of decades of reform efforts and was directly catalyzed by the violence following the disputed 2007 election. The National Accord that ended the crisis mandated constitutional reform as part of the reconciliation agenda. The Committee of Experts, led by Nzamba Kitonga, drafted a new constitution through an inclusive process involving public participation, civil society input, and political negotiation. The draft was debated and harmonized by Parliament, then subjected to a referendum on August 4, 2010. Kenyans voted overwhelmingly in favor, with 67 percent support. The new constitution devolved power to 47 counties, established an independent judiciary, created the Senate, introduced term limits, and included a comprehensive Bill of Rights. It was promulgated on August 27, 2010, marking a historic transformation of Kenya's governance structure and fulfilling a key demand of the pro democracy movement.
See Also
The Constitution of 2010 Constitutional Reform Movement Devolution Kenya
Sources
- Government of Kenya. 'The Constitution of Kenya, 2010.'
- Ghai, Yash Pal and Jill Cottrell Ghai. 'Kenya's Constitution: An Instrument for Change.' Katiba Institute, 2011.
- Branch, Daniel. 'Kenya: Between Hope and Despair, 1963-2011.' Yale University Press, 2011.