YES OR NO?

The Kenya National Human Rights Commission has dismissed claims by opponents of the Proposed Constitution that the US was meddling in the country's affairs by pushing for constitutional reforms.

Commissioner Hassan Omar says those opposed to the proposed constitution should understand that the international community just like Kenyans was interested in making sure the country achieves the much needed reforms.

Speaking to KBC on phone, Omar said the visit by US Vice President Joe Biden was timely and urged Kenyans not to be misled by such politicians opposed to change.

On Sunday during a NO rally in Embu, Higher Education Minister William Ruto questioned the interests of the US Government in the Kenyan constitutional affairs, saying President Barack Obama's administration was pushing the local leadership to adopt the draft.

Meanwhile its all systems go as the red and green teams transverse the country in a bid to woo voters to either endorse or reject the proposed constitution.

The opinion poll released by research company Synovate last week has ignited both camps into frenzied campaigns as they try to convince the undecided voters to side with them.

The report indicated that 57 percent were in support of the proposed constitution, 20 percent were against and 19 percent were still undecided.

It is this undecided vote that the camps are hoping to capture before the August 8 referendum.

Marathon Rallies

Water minister Charity Ngilu was in Kitui for the YES team exuding confidence of victory while information minister Samuel Poghisio took his no campaign to Kepengeria saying the battle was far from over.

Ngilu who led the Yes team in marathon rallies stretching from Mutomo, Kyatuni and Matinyani urged the locals to vote for the proposed constitution as they stand to gain more in a devolved system of government.

Ngilu said if the proposed draft becomes law financial allocation to the grass root would increase significantly reducing the gap between the rich and the poor.

However Poghisio while opposing the proposed law dismissed the latest opinion poll indicating the Yes team was in the lead urging Kenyans to be wary of propagandists.

Civic education on the proposed constitution is expected to close in the next three days before the campaign proper begins.

Elsewhere the youth in the NO Camp have vowed to mobilize over 5 million youths countrywide to vote against the proposed constitution at the forthcoming referendum.

The National Youth Coordinator, Nixon Korir, on Monday said the proposed law has nothing to offer to the youth, citing several issues in the document to justify the assertion.

Addressing the press in Nairobi, Korir said the country's youth fear that if the draft was passed international treaties might take precedence over Kenyan law adding that the document lacks proper structures of evicting the Attorney General from office.

The team will launch its campaign strategy on Wednesday.

The move by the NO team comes in the wake of an announcement by the youth in the Yes team that they would mobilize over 3 million youths to support the proposed constitution.