Residents in Homa Bay County have called on the government to uphold constitutional provisions on public participation before initiating any amendments to the 2010 Constitution.
They have also warned that attempts to alter key clauses without citizen involvement undermines democratic principles.
Speaking during a civic education campaign on the 2010 Constitution in Homa Bay Town organized by Millennium CBO in partnership with Geno Boda Boda Community Based Organization (CBO) and other partners, participants voiced concerns over alleged attempts by political leaders to introduce amendments without adequate public participation, terming them as “silent and unchecked” changes to the Constitution.
Millennium CBO Executive Director Lamech Ouma said the campaign seeks to empower citizens with knowledge about their constitutional rights so that they could demand inclusion in all legislative and constitutional processes.
“People must be involved in every stage of amending the Constitution. We have noticed attempts to change the Constitution by our leaders. There are so many amendments they are pushing to insert into the Constitution, which do not sit well with our people,” Ouma said.
He cited amendments reportedly seeking to extend the presidential term limit from five to seven years, and the recently enacted cybercrime law, which sparked anxiety among citizens who feared that their freedoms may be gradually eroded.
“We are, however, happy that the matter is in court, and we are positive the court will work in favour of the people. Clauses that are not good for the people must eventually be scrapped. Our role in this campaign is to move across the county and remind people that they have the power to protect the constitution,” he said.
He noted critical provisions in the Constitution that needs to be looked at such as the two-thirds gender rule which remained unimplemented, despite being a constitutional requirement for over a decade.
Erick Ogweno, a member of Geno Boda Boda CBO, appealed to the government to involve the public before making any constitutional amendments.
“The government must first involve the people through public participation before inserting new clauses in the Constitution,” Ogweno said.
Hellen Ouma, a civic educator and resident of Homa Bay Town, said many of the proposed amendments remained unfamiliar to the public because they were not communicated openly.
“It worries us that some changes are being made without our knowledge yet they directly affect us. If laws are going to affect us, then the ideas must come from us. Amending the Constitution becomes easy when the people’s own views guide the process,” she noted.
She added that areas like cybercrime legislation required careful public input, as the laws could either protect or infringe on rights depending on how they are crafted.
Ouma further agreed that there were key gains of the Constitution even though there are other sections that have remained unimplemented.
Another resident from Makongeni Estate, Elvis Oduor, urged leaders to avoid tampering with the Constitution, reiterating that it has not yet been fully implemented.
“The Constitution is complete as it is. It has not even been fully utilized for citizens to feel its impact. People must be involved in any amendment process,” he said.
The civic education caravan is expected to continue across Homa Bay County as civil society groups mobilize residents to safeguard the Constitution and demand transparency in any future amendment processes.
By Sitna Omar
