Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has called for a national assessment of Kenya’s constitutional institutions, saying the country must examine whether the reforms introduced by the 2010 Constitution are delivering meaningful improvements in the lives of citizens.
Speaking at the 16th anniversary Katiba Day Symposium at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi on Thursday, Koskei said the anniversary should provide an opportunity to assess the performance of institutions created or strengthened under the Constitution.
The Constitution was promulgated on August 27, 2010 at Uhuru Park in Nairobi by then-President Mwai Kibaki, following a nationwide referendum in which Kenyans endorsed the proposed document.
The referendum was held on August 4, 2010, with 6.09 million people voting in favour and 2.8 million against. The official results showed a 72.18 percent voter turnout, with 68.55 percent of valid votes supporting the Constitution.
The new Constitution replaced the previous constitutional order after a reform process that gained renewed momentum following the disputed 2007 presidential election and the subsequent post-election violence.
A power-sharing agreement in 2008 established a coalition government and created a framework for wider political and institutional reforms. The constitutional review process ultimately culminated in the 2010 referendum and promulgation.
Among its major changes was the introduction of devolved government, with 47 counties established under the Constitution, alongside constitutional commissions and independent offices intended to strengthen oversight, accountability and the protection of rights.
Koskei said these reforms were intended to bring government resources and decision-making closer to citizens while ensuring state institutions operate within constitutional principles.
“Among its most consequential reforms were devolution and the establishment of constitutional commissions and independent offices. Devolution brought government resources and decision making closer to the people, constitutional commissions and independent offices were established to protect the rights of the people, secure observance by all state organs of democratic values and principles, and promote constitutionalism.”
He said the Constitution should not only be celebrated as a historic document but evaluated on the extent to which its principles have become part of everyday life.
“Through these institutions, the Constitution was intended to take root across the republic and find expressions in the daily lives of Kenyans, 16 years on, this Katiba Day provides an occasion to account for how faithfully these institutions have discharged their mandates and how meaningfully their work has advanced the constitutional promise.”
The Head of Public Service maintained that the symposium should focus on whether the institutions created under the constitutional framework are fulfilling their responsibilities.
“Are our institutions protecting rights and serving citizens? Are they strengthening accountability? Are their constitutional mandates producing measurable improvements in the lives of the people? These questions lie at the heart of today's symposium.”
He said the questions should guide a broader national examination of Kenya’s constitutional journey, including achievements, outstanding obligations and areas requiring further action.
Koskei also called for stronger coordination among institutions established under the constitutional order, highlighting the role of the Office of the Deputy President in coordinating relations between the national and county governments and facilitating engagement with constitutional commissions and independent offices.
“That work calls for sustained coordination amongst the institutions established under our constitutional order within the organization of the national government. The Office of the Deputy President is responsible for coordinating relations between the two levels of government and facilitating engagement with constitutional commissions and independent offices.”
He said Deputy President Kithure Kindiki’s role in convening the 2026 Katiba Day Symposium was anchored in that constitutional responsibility.
The 2010 Constitution remains Kenya’s supreme law, with Article 1 placing sovereign power in the people and Article 10 establishing national values including democracy, participation, human rights, good governance, integrity, transparency and accountability.
Sixteen years after its promulgation, Koskei said the focus should therefore shift from celebrating the constitutional milestone to measuring how effectively its promises are being translated into better governance and improved lives for Kenyans.