Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka at a past event. [File, Standard]
Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka has called for the unbiased implementation of the 2010 Constitution, warning that Kenya risks undermining the gains of the new constitutional order through selective compliance.
Speaking on Thursday to mark the 16th anniversary of the Constitution's promulgation, Kalonzo said the country had a “first-class Constitution and second-class compliance”, accusing state institutions and leaders of failing to uphold constitutional principles.
“The document itself is not our problem. Our problem is the distance between the text we celebrate every August and the conduct we tolerate for the other eleven months,” he said.
Kalonzo, who served as Vice President when the Constitution was promulgated at Uhuru Park on August 27, 2010, said the document was the product of decades of struggle and sacrifice, particularly following the 2007-08 post-election violence.
He recalled standing alongside then-President Mwai Kibaki and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga during the historic ceremony, describing the moment as one when Kenya had finally “exhaled after holding its breath for far too long.”
The former Vice President said the Constitution's promise could only be realised if all institutions respected its provisions, regardless of political or personal interests.
He criticised what he described as selective enforcement of Chapter Six on leadership and integrity, interference with independent commissions and disregard for court orders.