A nation reborn as 20-year dream finally comes true

At about 10 o’clock Friday morning, Kenya will change forever. President Mwai Kibaki will receive, read and sign the legal instruments, proclaiming the new Constitution into law.

It will be the culmination of 20 years of a stop-and-go review process, which started in the late 1980s and gathered steam in the early 1990s. The signing will take place in a big ceremony at the historic Uhuru Park in central Nairobi.

Immediately President Kibaki publicly reads and signs the Instruments of Promulgation of the new Constitution, the country will be radically restructured, bringing to an end 47 years of post-independence history and setting it on a new course.

At least eight regional presidents and heads of State will attend, as well as representatives of the UN Secretary-General, the African Union, European Union, ambassadors and high commissioners.

Also in attendance will be the members of the Kofi Annan-led committee of eminent persons who successfully negotiated an end to Kenya’s post-election violence in January and February 2008 following the disputed presidential election, and former African heads of state and governments.

Kenyans voted overwhelmingly for the new Constitution in the August 4 referendum, with nearly 68 per cent of voters endorsing it. President Kibaki and First Lady Lucy Kibaki are expected at Uhuru Park at 9.1 am. They will be received by the Chief of General Staff, Gen Jeremiah Kianga.

The President is scheduled to inspect a military Guard of Honour. Attorney-General Amos Wako will hand the President the Instruments of Promulgation, a statement confirming the enactment of the new constitution. He will read it loudly, sign it and affix the seal of the Republic from a giant machine.

This will be followed by a 21-gun salute fired by a military canon as a giant national flag is hoisted atop Uhuru Park Hill. The event will be celebrated with entertainment by various groups and a march-past by detachments of the uniformed services.

President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Speaker of the National Assembly Kenneth Marende and Chief Justice Evan Gicheru will also take new oaths of allegiance and due execution of office under the new constitution.

President Kibaki, Mr Odinga, Mr Musyoka and all ministers will each take two oaths. In one, they will pledge allegiance to the new constitution while in the other they will swear to be faithful to their office.

Mr Justice Gicheru will be the first public official to take a new oath of office. He will then swear in the President. They will swear to obey, respect, preserve, defend and uphold the new Constitution and to serve Kenyans.

The swearing in of ministers, assistant ministers, permanent secretaries, and force and service commanders is scheduled to take place later on Friday. On Thursday, MPs refused to attend Parliament on Saturday to be sworn in as earlier planned. Instead, they voted to have a session at 3pm Friday afternoon during which they will take the oath.

Consequently, judges and magistrates will also be sworn in on Friday at the High Court. After the swearing in at Uhuru Park, there will be a march-past by defence forces, Kenya Police, Administration Police, Prison Service, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Forest Service and National Youth Service.

There will also be a drive-past accompanied by armed forces’ band and corps of drums. This will then be followed by a fly-past by the Kenya Air Force jets.