NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 27 – Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has called for a renewed focus on democracy, national unity and wealth creation as Kenya marks 16 years since the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution .

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Kindiki said the anniversary offered an opportunity for Kenyans to assess the country’s progress in implementing the Constitution and identify areas that still require attention.

Speaking during the Katiba@16 symposium in Nairobi on Thursday, the Deputy President said the country should examine how far it had travelled in fulfilling the aspirations contained in the Constitution’s Preamble and its foundational provisions.

He said the Constitution had established Kenya as a democratic, multi-party state while recognising the country’s diversity and providing for 47 counties under the devolved system of government.

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The Constitution, he said, envisioned Kenya as a multicultural, multi-ethnic, multiracial and multi-religious society united as one sovereign and independent nation.

“Your Excellency, it is a good time for us to reflect on how far we have advanced our sovereignty and the sovereignty of the people of Kenya, how far we have maintained the unity of our nation, and how far we have travelled in forging tolerance and finding strength as a nation in our diversity,” Kindiki said.

He said the anniversary should also prompt reflection on the relationship between citizens and State institutions, as well as the interaction between the Executive, Legislature, Judiciary, constitutional commissions and independent offices.

Kindiki said Kenya needed to assess how effectively the different arms and levels of government had worked together while respecting their constitutional mandates.

He singled out devolution, judicial independence and parliamentary oversight as key areas through which the country’s constitutional order should be measured.

“The question is how far we have come to perfect devolution, to respect the independence of the Judiciary, to respect the independence of the Legislature, how far the Legislature has been a check on the Executive, and how far the Judiciary has helped us to interpret the laws of our land,” he said.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya