RED/GREEN

Kenyans, like traffic policemen, will choose to either close or open the road for a new constitution.

Making the announcement on Monday, the Interim Independent Electoral Commission said Kenyans will have to choose between Green and Red colours as referendum symbols.

The symbols, derived from traffic symbols, will have those approving the Constitution picking Green while those opposed to it will choose Red, meaning stop.

IIEC said it consulted with the Parliamentary Select Committee before framing the referendum question.

The question, ‘Do you approve the proposed new Constitution?’ will see Kenyans tick either Green if they approve or Red if they oppose on August 4. If the Green side wins, then they will have opened the way for the proposed constitution to be promulgated.

But if the opponents win, then they will have halted the proposed constitution wagon at the Red lights.

IIEC, in its website, says it consulted the public for their views before coming up with the Green and Red as appropriate symbols for the forthcoming referendum.

By consulting widely, the IIEC hoped that it would avoid the bitter, divisive campaigns kicked off by the orange and banana symbols that were unveiled by the defunct ECK in the run-up to the 2005 referendum and ultimately resulted with the near-calamitous 2007 general election dispute.

Then, the two camps of Yes and NO, became synonymous with the two fruits and each was regarded as anathema to either side.