By Edwin Amoro
Published December 27, 2014

president mwai kibaki promulgates Kenya Constitution 2010That Kenya has ignored children for a long time is well illustrated by the fact that no provision of a simplified version of the country’s Constitution that came into force in 2010 was made for the consumption of this generation of today and tomorrow.

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But today, thanks to a non-governmental organisation called Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children, Kenya’s supreme law has been simplified for children. The simplified version is contained in a much leaner publication that summarises every chapter of the constitution in short and simple sentences.

The various sections of the constitution are presented in a pictorial and colorful style which attracts the reader to the booklet.

47 administrative counties of kenyaThe cover carries a picture of former President Mwai Kibaki under whose term the law came into force holding the original document aloft on the day it became legally binding on every citizen. The cover also bears the black, red, green and white colours of the Kenyan flag. Inside the book, the map of Kenya and the colours of the flag appear on every page.

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That the simplified constitution contains the map of Kenya with its 47 administrative units known as Counties indicates that every resident residing within the borders of the country is bound by the constitution of Kenya 2010.

The booklet avoids the difficult legal jargon employed in the original version of the constitution. The structure of this constitution is also simpler without as many divisions, sections and acts.

However, to make it a lot more child-friendly, perhaps the booklet should have carried some pictures and other visual aids to enhance the interest of the young reader.

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This simplified constitution was published in 2011 with the support of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Kenya’s Constitution Implementation Commission, Area Advocacy Committee Members of Matungu and Ugenya districts and  Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children.