Today 12.4 million registered voters in Kenya have a choice to make, approve or reject a new Constitution, the draft of which has been internationally praised for addressing controversial issues of tribalism, centralized political power, and exemption from punishment for corruption.
This day will mark a new beginning for Kenya. Opinion polls have consistently put support for the draft charter at above 60 percent, with 25 percent opposed and the remaining unsure. More than 63,000 police officers have been deployed nationwide during the referendum as the memories are still fresh of the ethnic violence that the country saw in Dec. 2007 presidential election when 1,300 people were killed in post-poll bloodshed.
Key appointments like senior public service posts, university vice-chancellors, judges would be subject to parliamentary approval if the new constitution is adopted. The judiciary facing a backlog of more than 900,000 cases would be entirely overhauled and Professionals would sit in the Cabinet, not just politicians,
A large share of national resources would be sent directly to 47 new devolved county governments, who could spend it as they or their constituents wish. Economic and political stability would be established in Kenya said Aly Khan Satchu, a Nairobi-based economic analyst.
Significant amount of cash had been made available to those campaigning to overturn the new Constitution by US-based Christian groups, because they believe it eases laws on abortion and Muslim-only family kadhi courts. Turnout for polling was high at most of the 27,000 polling stations and there were no reports of trouble.
