Campaigns intensify

Higher Education Minister, William Ruto has accused the YES team for claiming that the NO team is inciting wananchi over the proposed constitution.

Ruto claimed the NO team is only sensitising and interpreting the draft document and not altering facts as claimed.

Speaking in Kitale during a NO rally, the minister said that the proposed constitution has many contentious clauses that need amendments.

The minister pointed out that clauses on land are the most contentious.

He urged residents of the to vote against the proposed constitution during the forthcoming-coming referendum on 4th August.

Meanwhile, former Mungiki sect leader Maina Njenga has lashed out at church leaders over their position on the proposed constitution, claiming the church has taken to playing politics and failed in taking their gospel and spiritual role in the society.

Maina says he will reach out to the youth and urge them to support the proposed new constitution adding the youth stands to gain a lot if the draft passes at the referendum.

He was speaking during the kikuyu elders meeting at the Thika stadium attended by hundreds of youth.

Elsewhere, minister for internal security Professor George Saitoti has assured the provincial administration that their positions will not be scrapped if the new constitution is passed.

Saitoti said that article 199 section 18, of the proposed constitution only provides for restructuring the provincial administration to conform with county governments.

He claimed opponents of the constitution are peddling lies that the provincial administration will be scrapped.

He asked the administrators to read and understand the draft to avoid being misled.

Speaking while addressing a YES rally in Machakos, Saitoti said the new constitution would open great opportunities for socio-economic and political development.

The chairman of Kenya's National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) Mzalendo Kibunja last week said the NCIC will continue gathering evidence against people instigating hate speech.

"That is why, as a commission, we have summoned about 20 people. We have also recommend(ed) prosecution of three people, and we have gathered this evidence, and we have presented them to the commissioner of the police and attorney general. Whereas, the other ones, we have summoned them in a view of trying to investigate and collect more evidence that can stand in court, as hate speech," Kibunja said.

Kibunja also urged Kenyans to condemn any form of hate speech since he said the 2007 post-election violence is still fresh in the minds of many people.

Kenyans are scheduled to decide in a referendum whether to accept or reject the proposed draft constitution.

This comes after the Interim Independent Electoral Commission announced on 19th May that the official campaign period for the referendum would begin on 13th July, two days ahead of the voting.