Research, Documentation and Dissemination
The objective for this programme is, “To provide information in order to activate Eastern Africans to make constitutions and laws for constitutional development relevant to their life experiences.” To this end, KcK will continue to undertake basic, applied and comparative research including fact-finding missions. The research will directly contribute to the increase in the capacity of stakeholders including policy makers to use research findings to inform practice, policy and legislation. Specifically, KcK will contribute to constitutional review and amendment processes that are responsive to new political trends and developments within Eastern Africa.
The ultimate goal of this programme is to place KcK as the first port-of-call for information, education and communication materials on constitutional issues in Eastern Africa. Over the period of the 2003/2006 Strategic Plan, considerable research and documentation was undertaken. The value addition in terms of experience sharing through regional comparative analysis based studies went a long way in documenting advances made and challenges faced in constitutional development. KcK will continue to undertake strategic research aimed at influencing law, policy and practice at national and regional level.
Under this programme, KcK also has the following;
Networking, Advocacy and Activism
The objective for this programme is, “To network and advocate around constitutionalism, good governance and democratic development to empower Eastern Africans to hold governments, national and regional institutions accountable and responsive to their needs and rights.” Whereas KcK is uniquely placed to work on constitutionalism, it is aware that it lacks the capacity to address the full range of challenges that arise from promoting good governance and democratic development. Therefore, KcK views networking based on comparative advantage and pooling of resources through partnership building as being critical for making advances on these fronts. Networking is necessary for building consensus on issues critical to changing practice, policy and legislation that directly impact on the constitutional concerns of the people.
KcK recognises that civic participation in democratic development cannot take place under governments that are not accountable and transparent. Therefore, at the national levels, KcK will work with and through other organisations to promote civic empowerment and engagement with the governments around issues of good governance in the delivery of services for the realization of basic human rights.
At the regional level, KcK will strengthen linkages with institutions that work on constitutionalism, good governance and democratic development for value addition and cross-fertilisation of new thinking, practices and approaches.
Advocacy interventions will be informed by research undertaken by KcK as well as by pertaining constitutional and regional integration developments. Currently, a Task Force at the EAC is putting together a draft Concept Paper on the Free Movement of Persons, Goods, Services, Capital, Free Establishment and Residence. With its observer status KcK will work closely with the Task Force to ensure that the principle of people centered cooperation is mainstreamed during the framing of all up-coming protocols.
KcK will hold meetings with policy makers at national and regional leves on issues of critical concern that need policy and legislative intervention and will build the capacity of CSOs around the EAC and the stages leading to regional integration. KcK will engage in constructive activism in partnership with like-minded organisations and activists for the purpose of bringing about positive democratic change.
In this programme KcK has Fact Finding missions.
Institutional Strengthening and Public Relations
The objective for this programme is, “To strengthen the organizational developments of KcK in order to enable it implement its multi-disciplinary programmes on constitutionalism, good governance and democratic development.”
Under this programme area, KcK has;