Book review: Oyaya, C.O. and Poku,, N.K. 2018. The making of the constitution of Kenya: a century of struggle and the future of constitutionalism. London: Routledge. ISBN 9781472474568

Abstract

It is seldom that one comes across a work of scholarship of such detail, depth and precision. This is especially the case when it comes to the complex and nuanced subject of constitution making in post-colonial Africa. Oyaya and Poku (2018) have delivered a text on the making of the Constitution of Kenya that spans a century of birthing pains, together with some scenarios on the future of constitutionalism in Kenya and the rest of Africa. Underpinning their analysis is the understanding that in modern states the constitution has evolved to be the primary reference point for the governance of societies. The book moves seamlessly from the theoretical to the practical, with Chapter 1 providing a very comprehensive interpretation of the meanings of the constitution and constitutional theory.