Observers say Kenyan referendum was free and fair

Kenya’s referendum on a proposed constitution, which voters soundly rejected, was generally free and fair, an independent Observers’ group said today.

Koki Muli, spokeswoman of the Kenya Civil Society Observation Group, said there had been some allegations of vote buying around the country.

“The polling, the counting and the announcement of the results were done professionally, peacefully and credibly,” Muli said.

“It is therefore our statement that the referendum was generally free and fair.”

The Kenya Civil Society Observation Group had 5,000 observers across the country for Monday’s referendum, with one each at polling stations in areas where there had been reporters of voter intimidation, vote buying and other electoral malpractice’s, Muli said.

Today’s statement was a preliminary report and a final one will be issued with evidence of vote buying and other violations, Muli said.

Monday’s referendum was held after a bitter campaign in which at least seven people died in referendum-related violence and delivered the most serious setback yet to President Mwai Kibaki, who is accused of having done too little to set himself apart from the corruption and autocracy long associated with politics in this east African country.

Kenyans rejected the proposed constitution by 57% to 43%, Samuel Kivuitu, chairman of the Electoral Commission of Kenya, said yesterday. The current constitution will remain in force.

The referendum was cast by Kibaki’s critics as a chance for voters to express their opinion of the president two years ahead of the next presidential race.

Kenya’s current constitution, drawn up in the lead-up to Kenya’s 1963 independence from Britain, has been revised several times to create a strong unitary state in which the president has sweeping powers.

The rejected new constitution was crafted by Attorney General Amos Wako, a Kibaki ally who combined a draft created by a National Constitutional Conference in March 2004 and one proposed by parliament in July.