Suba South MP Caroli Omondi has urged Kenyans to use Katiba Day not just as a day of celebration but as an opportunity for reflection on how the country has lived up to the ideals of its constitution.

Speaking on a local media station on August 27, 2025, Omondi acknowledged the significance of Kenya’s progressive constitution, which marks 15 years since its enactment, but cautioned against making the celebrations a mere ceremonial exercise.

“It is important that we celebrate because we have a very progressive constitution, and it took a long time coming, a very, very long time coming. And we have it, we are celebrating 15 years of it, and I think it is good to cut a cake, but I would caution that let it not be a perfunctory exercise of celebration,” Omondi said.

Constitutional introspection

The legislator emphasised the need for deep reflection to evaluate whether Kenyans have respected and lived by the principles enshrined in the constitution since its promulgation.

“I think what is important is that we do an introspection or a retrospect as to how we have related to our constitution. Have we respected it? Have we shown fidelity to it? Have we lived it? Have we given life to it in our actions and words? I think that is very important,” he stated.

Omondi referenced academic work to illustrate the distinction between having a constitution and practising constitutionalism.

“The late professor William Hastings Okoth-Ogendo wrote a celebrated paper called Constitutions Without Constitutionalism and I think that is what you are talking about,” he said.

The MP explained that constitutionalism encompasses more than legal structures, extending to societal values and behaviour patterns.

“Constitutionalism is a collection of values, and how you behave. It goes beyond the normal limits of executive power, the rule of law, and equality before the law. But it is a collective history of ethos, of consciousness, of how society behaves. So I think that is what we need to ask ourselves,” Omondi remarked.

Genuine commitments

He further asked whether Kenyans have been faithful to the constitution in their daily actions and interactions, stressing that waving flags, cutting cakes, and making speeches should be accompanied by genuine commitment to constitutional values.

“Have we been faithful to our constitution? Have we respected our constitution? Have we lived our constitution? Though it is good to celebrate but let us not just wave flags, cut cakes and talk and really not answer the question. The constitution is there, but are we practising constitutionalism as citizens, as individuals?” he asked.