[JURIST] The Kenyan Parliament on Thursday unanimously approved a draft constitution. The vote follows two days of contentious debate, though none of the many proposals for amendment passed, and the draft remained as introduced by the Committee of Experts on Constitutional Review. The draft includes several significant checks on presidential authority, including a requirement that presidential appointees face parliamentary confirmation and the removal of presidential appointment of judges. Members of Parliament receiving Cabinet positions will also have to relinquish their legislative seats. Final approval of the constitution will be determined via public referendum, to be held within 90 days.
The first draft of the constitution was unveiled in November. The changes are intended to reduce the widespread injustice throughout the country, and specifically address issues that led to violence following the 2007 presidential elections. In October, former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan called for constitutional reform in Kenya before the next electoral cycle begins in 15 months. In 2007, tens of thousands of protesters took to Kenya’s streets accusing President Mwai Kibaki of election fraud after early opinion polls suggested rival Raila Odinga was in the lead.