Kenya constitution must wait
2008-06-25 09:16
Nairobi - Kenya on Tuesday ruled out having a new constitution within a year, contrary to its pledge when a new coalition government came into power after deadly post-election violence.
Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Martha Karua said it was impossible to have a new charter within the time-frame although President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga made the pledge to Kenyans.
Lawmakers on March 18 passed into law the constitution of Kenya (amendment) bill, technically starting a countdown to the day the country will have re-written its constitution for the first time since independence in 1963.
"It is not practical to have a constitution within 12 months since the period of 12 months was supposed to run from the time the accord was passed," Karua told parliament, referring to a broader power-sharing accord.
Karua added that a constitutional referendum would take place after next year's annual budget in June when it is allocating new funds.
Kibaki and Odinga repeated the pledge when they swore in their coalition cabinet on April 13, raising Kenyans' hopes after waiting for nearly two decades.
A previous attempt to change the basic law failed in a 2005 referendum.
The current constitution, which fails to address political and economic disparities, was part of sticking points that fuelled Kenya's post-election violence.
Odinga's claims that Kibaki committed electoral fraud in the December 27 elections sparked an unprecedented cycle of protests, police raids, tribal clashes and revenge killings that left at least 1 500 people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.
Kenyans have long complained that the independence constitution is giving sweeping powers to the president.