By Shadrack Nyakoe
Economic rights advocate Ng’ang’a Muigai has launched an initiative urging the government to introduce the Constitution of Kenya as a compulsory, examinable subject across all learning institutions. He argues that the country’s progress depends on raising a generation that understands the laws governing it.
Muigai, who is mobilising support through an online petition, says the curriculum needs a deliberate shift that treats constitutional literacy as a core academic foundation rather than an optional topic covered briefly in civic studies.
He questions why learners are consistently taught religious doctrines in both basic and higher education, yet the Constitution which outlines citizens’ rights, responsibilities, and the structure of government receives minimal attention.
“Religious studies guide a child spiritually. The Constitution should guide them as citizens. If we believe religion is important enough to teach throughout school life, then the Constitution deserves the same priority,” he said.
According to Muigai, many highly educated Kenyans lack a proper understanding of constitutional principles, a gap he believes contributes to weak civic engagement, poor governance, and susceptibility to misinformation.
He points to the events of June 25, 2024 when more than 60 people lost their lives during nationwide demonstrations rooted in demands for constitutional adherence as a stark reminder of the stakes involved. Despite the deaths, intimidation, and police crackdowns, he notes that Kenyans from diverse backgrounds continued to rally around the call for constitutionalism.
In the petition, Muigai highlights scenes of protesters carrying pocket-sized copies of the Constitution and national flags, describing them as symbolic evidence that citizens want the document upheld and defended.
“That unity and determination showed that Kenyans are ready to stand for the Constitution. Our education system must now ensure that every child grows up understanding it,” he said.
He argues that while civic education programmes and public outreach efforts have been helpful, they lack the scale and consistency required to reach the entire population. Embedding the Constitution in the national curriculum, he says, is the only sustainable way to achieve widespread constitutional literacy.
The petition proposes that Parliament passes a dedicated law tentatively referred to as The Katiba Shuleni 2026 Act to make constitutional studies mandatory from primary school to tertiary level. Muigai suggests that the programme be incorporated into the 2026/27 national budget and implemented through the Ministry of Education, the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), and relevant parliamentary committees.
He believes the initiative would strengthen patriotism, enhance accountability in public institutions, and equip Kenyans with a clearer understanding of governance and citizenship.
Beyond governance, Muigai argues that constitutional literacy could help dismantle tribal divides, boost Kenya’s global standing, open employment opportunities, and elevate the country’s development trajectory.
“A nation grounded in the knowledge of its own laws is harder to divide and easier to empower. This would be the greatest honour to those who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today,” he said.
