Kenyans voted overwhelmingly for a new constitution in August 2010, following the post-election violence of 2008. This development was of huge importance, not least because there had been many previous attempts to overhaul the old constitution. However, the new version was also a far-reaching document, the significance of which in advocating wide-scale reforms – such as offering devolved constituency-based governments, decentralization and control of financial resources and decision making as well as unprecedented space for civil society to hold the State to account – cannot be overestimated. Given the difficult political context in Kenya, translating the ideals of this constitution into reality could be a lengthy and complicated process.
