To safeguard our democracy, we must hold a referendum

Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi says a constitutional referendum must address the recommendations of the Nadco report. [File, Standard]

As Kenya approaches the 2027 General Election, a critical conversation gathering steam is whether our progressive Constitution, promulgated in August 2010, still remains a powerful instrument of change aligned to our nation's political and socioeconomic transformation journey.

A healthy debate emerging online and in other fora validates how Kenyans across the political divide passionately defend the spirit of the Constitution but also point out a few critical areas that need re-imagining. These include the cost implications to the economy of implementing some of its key provisions, such as the form and means of public participation as currently framed, and the two-thirds gender rule.