Kenyans Approve New Constitution

Nairobi, Kenya — With a new Constitution overwhelmingly approved by voters, Kenyan politicians are now talking excitedly about their country’s golden future. Constitutional Referendum in Kenya“Kenya has been reborn,” declared Kiraitu Murungi, the energy minister, shortly before final results were announced Thursday showing that the new Constitution had passed, with 67 percent of Kenyans behind it. No doubt, the new Constitution and the remarkably peaceful way in which the referendum was conducted Wednesday was a much-needed boost of self-confidence for the country. It showed that Kenya can run a clean election without a violent aftermath, that the losers can graciously accept defeat, that their supporters can move on peacefully and that the police and security forces can be deployed to maintain stability throughout the country. It was a stark contrast to the last election, in 2007, which erupted in ethnically fueled tumult that claimed more than 1,000 lives. On Thursday, President Obama called the vote “a significant step forward for Kenya’s democracy,” while the nation’s president, Mwai Kibaki, held a boisterous victory rally in Nairobi, telling a crowd of thousands that the new Constitution would be “our shield and defender as we strive to conquer poverty, disease and ignorance.” “I see a great people ready to build a new and prosperous future,” he said. But the voting patterns from the referendum also show that even at this crucial turning point, Kenya is still dogged by its old political maxim: follow your leader. More on www.ippf.org