NAIROBI, Kenya — Constitutionalism across Africa is facing mounting pressure from expanding executive power, with growing attempts to dilute or remove presidential term limits, Civic Voice Executive Director and Katiba Institute Board Chairperson Abdul Noormohamed has warned.
Speaking at a two-day symposium in Nairobi that brought together legal scholars, civil society actors, policymakers and students, Noormohamed said the erosion of constitutional safeguards is steadily undermining democratic accountability on the continent.
He cautioned that presidential term limits, a key feature in many African constitutions are increasingly under threat, yet they remain critical in preventing the concentration of political power. According to him, weakening these limits risks reversing gains made in democratic governance and opens the door to unchecked executive authority.
Noormohamed further framed the issue of public debt as not merely an economic concern, but a constitutional one. He pointed to rising borrowing levels across African countries, warning that opaque debt contracting processes, weak parliamentary oversight and limited public participation in fiscal decisions are creating significant governance risks.
“These trends,” he noted, “undermine accountability and have far-reaching implications on economic stability and the realisation of socio-economic rights, both for present and future generations.”
He emphasised the link between concentrated executive power and declining fiscal accountability, arguing that without strong institutional checks, public finance management becomes increasingly vulnerable to abuse.
The symposium, organised by Katiba Institute in partnership with governance and legal advocacy organisations, served as a platform to interrogate these challenges and explore reforms. Discussions focused on strengthening oversight mechanisms, reinforcing constitutional safeguards and promoting transparency in public debt management.
Noormohamed urged stakeholders across the continent to remain vigilant in defending constitutional principles, stressing that sustained civic engagement and institutional accountability are essential to safeguarding democratic governance in Africa.
