In a sane person’s mind, development should be tangible, visible to the eye, accountable and its effects picked apart piece by piece. To mirror that, a new Constitutional dispensation should have the same, if not better, factors accompanying it. A decade since the promulgation of a new Constitution, Kenyans are grappling with failed promises and successes of a fleeting era. President Uhuru Kenyatta termed the existing Constitution a living document, but it’s surely not an objective statement alone to many Kenyans, more like, a ‘living document that died years ago’. It’s simple, the divide between the Document and its implementation is so wide that a fact check among many will yield funny answers, “Really, it’s ten years? I didn’t know that!”
We can say it’s one of the most progressive Constitutions in the region and it has its successes no doubt. However, its strides have been in a common mwananchi’s shadows rather than before his or her gaze because many don’t even how their lives have been impacted. Despite this, leaders have the responsibility to outline for the electorate the steps gained, apart from blasting ears with bogus political rhetoric when they want the attention. What makes it so progressive, show us, what have you done Mr. Governor, Senator and others who are a product of the so-called living document that must be reviewed now. Development is among the most basic eye tests Kenyans are using to judge the Constitution’s good and bad faces, tied to this is the triumph or failure of devolution, deep rooted graft, access to vital amenities and services. Look at these and the eye test becomes even more critical.
Devolving the gains, we look at the Counties of the former Western province and Trans Nzoia. Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Vihiga, Trans Nzoia Counties, what has changed? How many referral hospitals can our Governors account for now that health was devolved? What about roads? Tell us about infrastructural gains and education milestones. To amuse you a bit, there is a section of the citizenry in Western who suffered terribly before the 2010 Constitution was promulgated, suffered after and are about to grind their teeth even more in hunger, poverty and betrayal propagated by leaders. The poverty rate in Bungoma, Busia Counties is among the highest in Kenya according to research, a prove fact.
May the leaders be accountable, Governors come out and show what you’ve done in your Counties in the years you’ve been in office, without the electorate prompting you and pushing your ‘please me first buttons’. Yeah, some may say this is easy, but we are talking individual milestones, not projects shared through different tenures or initiated by the national government. Not projects you were happy to attend and cut ribbons to fantasy land. Let’s not celebrate unseen gains of another Constitutional review, and think changing a document changes the lives of Kenyans as a guarantee. The mama mboga, boda boda operator, tailor, teacher et al want to see that living document provide tangible help for them, improve access to services without the need to bribe emaciated pockets, infrastructure boost-some roads have never been renovated throughout multiple tenures-among others. As aforementioned, the Constitution has its successes and failures, and we’ll not go deeper to favour the latter for Western, but leaders, it’s time we celebrate real gains.
