Case Statement

Kituo cha Katiba  is a regional think tank that addresses the problem of governments in Eastern Africa not respecting their constitutions, which leads to gross human rights violations, marginalization, oppression, civil strife and coups. KcK provides critical and up-to-date information to East Africans on constitutionalism, good governance and democratic development.

Vision

Constitutionalism that promotes good governance and democratic development in Eastern Africa.

Mission

To promote a culture of constitutionalism, where the constitution is a living document that reflects the aspirations and needs of men and women in democratic and participatory governance in Eastern Africa.

Where We Work

At inception, KcK’s geographical scope was the traditional East African countries of Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya, but has since expanded to include Tanzania Zanzibar, Burundi, Rwanda and most recently South Sudan.

How we work

KcK applies a multi-disciplinary and regional approach to constitutional development. As a regional organisation, KcK works in a collaborative manner through a network of stakeholders across the region at both national and regional levels working on constitutionalism, good governance and democratic development. Her range of stakeholders include civil society organisations comprising NGOs, cultural and faith institutions, faith and religious based organisations (FRBOs), the media, the academia, funding partners as well as individuals. KcK also works in close collaboration with governments - through the different arms, ministries, constitutional and statutory bodies. Her observer status at the EAC and the African Commission for Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR), give her leverage in her work at the regional and continental level.

Given that her wide mandate calls for varied expertise, KcK executes her work mainly through multi-disciplinary consultants drawn from the region, and thus maintains a miniscule staff.

Our Core Values

Our work is guided by the following values:

  • Inclusive participation: We believe that deepening democratic practice goes beyond elections and encompasses the entire spectrum of activities that citizens engage in to participate in their governance and to hold duty bearers accountable for service delivery.
  • Respect for human rights and rule of law: Our work is driven by the belief that states in the region must protect, promote and fulfill the rights of their citizens, in the pursuit of constitutionalism and development.
  • Equality and non-discrimination: We believe that all our stakeholders are equal and that discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, ethnicity is inimical to the region’s constitutional development.
  • Integrity: In order to ensure credibility and build stakeholder trust, our work is guided by honesty and openness with each other and with our stakeholders.

Strategic Objectives

To achieve our strategic goals during this strategy period (2019-2023) , KcK shall focus on four strategic areas:

  • Support the culture of promoting, respecting and defending democratic constitutional standards and practices in the Eastern African region.
  • Strengthen the organization’s financial systems and practices.
  • Build robust, diverse leadership and organizational processes.
  • Strengthen the capacity to monitor and adapt to the changing environment in constitutionalism in the Eastern African region.

Our Comparative Advantage

Only a couple of NGOs operate at East African regional level and more so on constitutional development and even as think tanks. More significantly, only a few institutions are equipped with the capacity or design to adopt long-term perspectives on constitutional issues and to consider them within the framework of general constitutional development. The tendency of many NGOs is to respond to constitutional questions in a fashion that meets the exigencies of the moment or a particular crisis. These efforts are often local in nature, country specific and often represent short term solutions.  

As a regional institution, KcK is uniquely and strategically placed to use its regional placement as a conduit for negotiation between government and civil society, from a vantage point compared to national organizations. Regionalism is a strength in light of the global political and economic environment. KcK’s application of a comparative analysis of issues of constitutionalism also makes it strong in advocacy. KcK’s mandate that enables her to  encapsulate the varied dimensions of constitutional reform and transition within the region and at the EAC  within a single framework, further fortifies her uniqueness.