Constitutional law is a body of law which defines the role, powers, and structure of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the parliament or legislature, and the judiciary; as well as the basic rights of citizens and, in federal countries such as the United States and Canada, the relationship between the central government and state, provincial, or territorial governments.
The Kenyan legislature is one of the three arms of government which are constitutionally established by the 2010 Constitution.[1] Each of these three arms of government has its functions and obligations which spawn from the separation of powers theory by Madison.[2] The Kenyan legislature is tasked with the role of making and amending laws as […]
The surrogate mother only gestates the embryo, which is usually created from the eggs and sperm of the commissioning parents.[1] Even though this practice may sound foreign or an invention of modern science, surrogacy can be traced back to ancient times. For instance, in Babylonian Law the practice was allowed as a means to prevent […]
The term separation of powers otherwise referred to in French as “trias politica” was coined by Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, an 18th century French social and political philosopher.[1] Montesquieu was of the considered view that when the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or in the […]
Chapter 9, Article 157 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 establishes the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). The President appoints the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) with the approval of the National Assembly.[1] The DPP’s qualification should be similar to that of the Judge of the High Court.[2] His functions are delegated […]
A Constitution does not work by itself or speak like an oracle.[1] It is by judicial interpretation that many a time you breathe life into the provisions of a Constitution.[2] At the heart of this is the task of construing the true meaning and intent of explicit constitutional provisions. However, a Constitution, like any document, […]
All over the world, the apex court serves as the final arbiter of disputes, interpreting and enforcing the law and upholding the Constitution. The function of an apex court is to provide the final interpretation of the law and to ensure that justice is delivered. This involves hearing appeals and deciding cases that have been […]
Democracy and opposition are supposed to go hand in hand. The nascent debate in Kenya is not just about whether democracy will survive, but about the quality of that democracy if it does. The role, functions, legitimacy and capacity of political opposition, in a situation where it is highly fragmented, constitutes a key aspect of […]
To our credit as a country, freedom of religion is one area that has enjoyed relatively few hardships, with persons being allowed to practice their faith unhindered. There have been no major penalties and disabilities hampering the freedom of religion. As a result, we have had exponential growth, particularly in evangelical churches, owing to a […]
An equation of quality and timely healthcare services equates to good healthcare and an expensive bill. The health schemes cushion people from expensive bills, by funding medication at a time of need. But is this really true? What is the cost of getting health insurance cover? With the minimum wage of an average Kenyan at […]
The opposition has for decades been a headache to the government of the day through the organization of these demonstrations which springs from Article 37 of the Constitution. Under the wake of the new Constitution promulgated in 2010, the country has witnessed at least three demonstrations organized by the Opposition to wit: following the announcement […]
