Kenya Referendum Campaigns Intensify

Written By:KBC Reporters , Posted: Sun, Aug 01, 2010

As the August 4th referendum day draws near, leaders from both the Yes and No teams are holding two separate major rallies in Nairobi on Sunday in their final push to woo voters to vote in favour of their sides.

President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga are leading the Yes team at Uhuru Park while the NO Team led by Higher Education Minister William Ruto is holding a rally at Jamhuri Park.

The two rallies come a day after similar meetings on Saturday in Kisumu and Eldoret.

The two sides are expected to wind up their campaigns on Monday as president Kibaki and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka expected for a yes rally in Kitui in the morning before addressing another rally at Kirigiti stadium in Kiambu in the afternoon.

Ruto and his team will be in Samburu. The NO team which has been agitating for amendments of the new law before the referendum is calling on Kenyans to reject the document claiming contentious issues should be addressed first.

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church has appealed to the disciplined forces in the country to be impartial in dealing with any form of lawlessness that may arise during or after the referendum.

Homa Bay Catholic Bishop Philip Anyolo says the move will help prevent a recurrence of tribal hostilities witnessed after the 2007 general election.

Speaking during a thanks giving prayers session for the disciplined forces in the area, bishop Anyolo recounted how the post election violence almost wrecked the country's peaceful atmosphere, and urged the forces to exercise their responsibilities professionally.

Elsewhere Youth leaders from the green team are traversing various estates in Nairobi city calling on the young people to come out in large numbers and endorse the proposed constitution on Wednesday.

The Youth leaders took issue with the church claiming that it was misinforming the faithful on the contents of the proposed law.

They reiterated that the document was the best for Kenyans as it will liberate wananchi from past injustices. The leaders emphasized on the need to embrace peace during and after the referendum.