The Constitution and Us

The world over constitution and constitution making has always been a process celebrated by many, accepted or rejected by the majority according to the prevailing political situation, analysed with the educated, shunned by the illiterate and embraced by the very few who can actually derive an understanding between the many legalese letters surrounding the document itself. When Kenya gave itself the constitution we have now, a process that saw total sacrifice from the people and involved a more inclusive practice that had never been seen before in any African state, the major undoing was in what most people would term ‘the devil is in the details.’ The writing was perfect, yes, but more legalistic than the common comprehension.

It was from this background that “The Action Inter-Ethnic Dialogue and Peaceful Reconciliation Project” embarked on a journey to promote the basic essence of constitution as it should be appreciated by the people it is made for. Virginia Njeri is one of those young persons in the larger Kibera area who had not thought much of the constitution as a way of life. When she first came into contact with the project through a voter seminar at Makina, she believed that this was just one of the many endeavours happening in Kibera which are  without proper programming of actually reaching and realizing the real meaning of transformation of the very common man at the heart of the sprawling slums.

Over the time now, Njeri believes that the process of constitutional-ism is more than the thick pages of a book that is always flouted in the faces of many a citizen. Njeri asserts that most of the issues surrounding the election and peace building has been explicitly explained under the constitution and has been further propounded by the projects coordination members in voter education seminars to such a basic unit that anybody can easily draw a line of association and understand them to an extent of owning the constitution. Njeri says: “For me, the most basic thing I have learned from the project is the easy way on how the constitution has been explained. Being made to realize that it is my democratic right to vote and be voted for has changed my perspective as regards to elections…that the constitution provides for non-discrimination under Article 27 is a just but a major change.”

What offers this change of thought is that Njeri believed that tribe came first before individual astuteness or performance. When I talked to her she had this to say about her recent past beliefs: “Honestly, I have been very particular and critical of people’s backgrounds and tribe. I associated every political party with a tribe on the basis of who heads the said political parties. But I tried to look at the reality of formation and maintenance of political parties under the new law and came to the realization that Kenya is a multi-ethnic state that can only be governed through such more a realization. People need to move out from the mentality of ethnic and class comfortability. The constitution now talks of inclusion in the government; whichever party wins the elections.” For Njeri, the zeal at which this information is reaching people gives her a rare comfort that it is time the Kibera youth shall change. This also attests to the reasons why Kenyans had a very peaceful elections. 

Story Collected by Charles Omanga

Edited by Ramogi Osewe

This project is funded by the European Union.