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Page 1 of 2 Introduction
The emergence of Kituo Cha Katiba (KCK) in 1997 was a logical embodiment of an historic opportunity for the peoples of Eastern Africa to reshape their social contract with their governments. Since the opening up of political space for democratization in
Eastern Africa and Africa as a whole, the people have progressively, though painstakingly, been empowered to hold their governments accountable and have their aspirations, welfare needs and other rights promoted and protected.
The founder members of KCK having recognized that an emerging culture of constitutionalism requires an organizational apparatus and strategic focus in order to make practical progress, commissioned consultations by Center for Basic Research
(CBR) that targeted diverse respondents in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The process brought to the fore the imperative for promoting the active participation of civil society in good governance and democratic development and in the process ingrain a culture of constitutionalism. It is around these guiding principles that strategic interventions were framed by KCK. Additionally, the 1999 East African Treaty establishing the East African Community confirmed KCK’s relevance as a regional body focusing on research, documentation, networking and advocacy on constitutionalism, good governance and democratic development.
Inaugural Kituo Cha Katiba Strategic Objectives
- Advance the science, processes and art of constitution making, constitutionalism and democratic governance through basic, comparative and applied research.
- Commission state-of-the-art studies on various dimensions of constitution making, constitutionalism and democratic governance in the region.
- Promote the values and an ethos of constitutionalism and gender equality and equity throughout the East African region.
- Highlight and address the plight of disadvantaged social, cultural, economic and political groups in the region, including minorities, refugees and people with disabilities.
- Collect and compile the testimonies of prominent East Africans intricately involved in the processes of constitutional evolution and development in the region and to foster the contribution of grassroots operatives to these processes.
- Host an annual lecture by a prominent East African on constitutionalism and constitutional development in East Africa, and to widely disseminate the text of the lecture though out the region and beyond.
- Undertake information collection, data banking, archiving, publication and dissemination through the mechanism of seminars, workshops and conferences, and to promote the use of new forms of media and electronic technology in fostering public debate and dialogue.
- Create and maintain a directory of individuals and institutions committed to the ideals of constitutionalism and democratic governance.
- Encourage, support and facilitate the reform of school and university curricula incorporating aspects relating to constitution making, constitutionalism and democratic governance.
- Act as a regional watchdog for the protection, promotion and enhancement of constitution making, constitutionalism and democratic governance.
These were some of the inaugral programmes.
The Youth
The Youth were mobilised with the aim of promoting national and regional youth initiatives that build and enhance democratic leadership and values and to widen understanding and generate consensus on constitutional issues of interest to young people. A workshop was held in Kenya in March 2002 in collaboration with the National Youth Movement. The Youth Conference on Governance and Democratic Practice took place in Mombasa with the collaboration of the the East African Youth Council, (EAYCO). The goal of the conference was to empower youth with leadership and management skills with the aim of enhancing their democratic practice. The forum drew a dynamic group of youth within the region including leaders of EAYCO, NGOs, Parliament, Government, internship students and several youths vying for parliamentary seats in the 2002 elections. This enriched the discussions and generated a diversity of views. The youth contributed to the development of a resource material suited to their needs, perceptions, values, that shall be used as a point of reference in disseminating the acquired knowledge to their peers.
Gender
KCK particularly targeted women and the youth as marginalised groups in constitutional development within the region. In 2001, KCK undertook empirical research on Gender and Employment to make a case for the establishment of the Equal Opportunities Commission in Uganda, which is the only constitutionally- provided Commission that has hitherto not been established. It is hoped that the empirical data shall enhance constitutional activism as an advocacy tool. In Tanzania, KCK reviewed the constitution and evaluated the extent to which the government had honoured its obligations in realising the vision for a free and equal society, as a recognised development goal. KCK held workshops in collaboration with stakeholders sharing similar objectives, namely the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) in Tanzania, and the Uganda Women’s Network (UWONET) and the EAYCO. In all these fora KCK mobilised participants from a multi-disciplinary background.
KCK's Gender and Constitutionalism project was founded on the premise that despite women's critical importance to the continent's survival, they continue to be marginalised. The goal of the project was to widen the capacity of gender activists and sympathisers to appreciate gender equality as a critical framework and ideological tool for development, good governance, progressive constitutionalism and social change.
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