Miguna responds to Lumumba's push for constitutional amendment

By Peter Ochieng

Kenyans on Sunday marked the 13th anniversary of the current constitution.

It was promulgated on 27th August, 2010 in a ceremony presided over by Kenya's third president, the late Mwai Kibaki.

A group of eminent persons led by lawyer Patrick Loch Otieno (PLO) Lumumba, have renewed the push to effect constitutional amendment.

“The constitution jealously and magnanimously guarantees us an audience to initiate amendments directly as a people through the popular initiative route,” Lumumba noted on Sunday.

“Yes, we must have a constitutional moment and there is an opportunity to re-examine the constitution,” added the former Chairman, Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC).

Reacting to Lumumba's take, vocal lawyer Joshua Miguna Miguna said he will oppose the move to have the constitution ammended, even if it means doing it alone.

"I will oppose this retrogressive move even if I do so alone," he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

"The Constitution of Kenya 2010 should be fully implemented before anyone dreams of mutilating it. This will be the Waterloo for constitutional renegades. We promise!"

Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua seemingly agreed with Miguna.

She says the constitution should be fully implemented, before anyone thinks of amending it.

"We have a great constitution which we have deliberately failed to faithfully implement, but are always eager to amend."

"The elephant in the room is lack of integrity across the board in the performance of public duty - institutions are as good as the people manning them - equally a constitution is as good as it’s implementers. No amount of amendments will cure moral infirmity. If we truly desire positive social change, then we must faithfully implement the letter and spirit of the constitution beginning with our national values," added the Azimio deputy leader.

Former president Uhuru Kenyatta's bid of changing the constitution through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) collapsed, after the Supreme Court halted the process.

Kenyatta was found at fault for initiating the constitutional amendment process, with Supreme Court Judges led by Chief Justice (CJ) Martha Koome, insisting that it must be a popular initiative.