Referendum Results: It’s a revolution!

Kenyans have staged a bloodless coup and toppled despotism. By overwhelmingly supporting the Proposed Constitution with almost 70% approval vote they have forever silenced the voice of oppression that has for decades subjugated them both politically and economically. From today Kenyans can walk tall in any part of the world and pride themselves as a people with one of the world's best Bill of Rights in their constitution.

The rigorous campaign for the rejection of the Proposed Constitution by the retired President Daniel arap Moi did more damage than good to his camp. It simply reminded the people of Kenya how Moi totally silenced the voice of reason when he ruled Kenya with an iron fist for 24 years. Every time he opened his mouth outside the Kalenjin territory during the campaign he brought back memories of when he filled his Government with people from his own ethnic group regardless of their qualification.

The way he tried, but miserably failed, to ridicule President Kibaki’s record as a reformer made people remember how he changed the legislature in Kenya into a rubberstamp parliament whose duty was to endorse his will. The very presence of Moi in the campaign trail reminded the people how he used to promote and demote top civil servants and politicians when he was addressing roadside meetings as the President of Kenya.

His attack on the content of the Proposed Constitution took people back to the time when he simply threw whoever opposed him into jail without trial. Looking at Moi losing his temper while asking the people to reject the Proposed Constitution reminded people how little respect he had for justice when he was the country’s overall boss. Those who had been unfairly jailed by Moi could remember how he changed the judicial system in Kenya to suit his own political convenience by reducing judges and magistrates as administrators of Kangaroo courts where justice was hardly seen to be done if the accused person had Moi’s Government as his or her opponent.

The manner in which Daniel Toroitich arap Moi misruled Kenya by creating a class of extremely rich people who cared little about the downtrodden have-nots made many Kenyans see the importance of the Bill of Rights in the Proposed Constitution. Now they have a constitution which takes very serious steps to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.

As Article 19(1), for example, says Bill of Rights is the integral part of Kenya’s democratic state and is the framework for social, economic and cultural policies. When campaigning against the Proposed Constitution , former President Daniel arap Moi , backed by his most loyal disciples, William Ruto and Cyrus Jirongo who were joined by Samuel Poghisio , Chris Okemo and Margaret Wanjiru, knew they were fighting a losing battle. Working against them was the fact that very many Kenyans are today able to read and write and could easily tell when they were given wrong information about the Proposed Constitution in public meetings.

The deliberate misinformation by the politicians who opposed the Proposed Constitution did not even need organized rebuttal campaigns to give the people the correct information. When William Ruto told many crowds he addressed that the Proposed Constitution was against the Christian church as it favoured Islam no one needed to correct that information to the people who knew very well that the subordinate Kadhi courts could not in any way, shape or form make Islam the favoured religion in Kenya. Ruto’s misguided views were further exposed when he went to the North Eastern Province and told the majority Muslim voters to reject the Proposed Constitution as it favoured American anti-terrorism laws which discriminated against Muslims. The double faced Ruto made it extremely easy for the “YES” camp to win votes among the Muslim Somalis.

It so happens that throughout the 24 years he was in power, retired President Daniel arap Moi had very little respect for the dignity of individual Kenyans. Political jails were full of innocent Kenyans; journalists were scared stiff to call a spade a spade and many of them were used as propaganda tools. From now on children in Kenya will be taught about the importance of human dignity as it is found in Article 19(2) of their constitution which says the purpose of recognizing and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms is to preserve the dignity of individuals and communities and to promote social justice and the realization of potential of all human beings.

Any newcomer to this country is hit hard by the shocking disparity between the rich and the poor. The country has more four wheel expensive cars on its roads than many developed nations. Yet anyone driving along the bad roads in the capital city cannot help seeing expansive slums scattered in many parts of the so-called city in the sun. The misrule of Kenya by the privileged class has helped the creation and growth of the largest slums in the entire continent where people live in the most poverty stricken lifestyle imaginable. These are the people who get the maximum benefit from the new Bill of Rights that is not only concerned with the first generation human rights; but, even more important for them, the second generation human rights.

The passage of the Proposed Constitution means very bad news to few Kenyans especially those in the Kalenjin community in the Rift Valley. The good news is the fact that it will take a very short time for them to realize that their leaders, headed by William Ruto were in fact telling them no more and no less than a cock and bull story about the Proposed Constitution. Now is the time to mobilize all the Government resources to persuade the Kalenjin to know the truth about their Constitution. No effort must be spared to make them realize that they are as good Kenyans as any other as far the new supreme law of the land is concerned.

The other group that is bound to feel dejected by the new Constitution is the Clergy that allowed itself to be emotionally moved by a stand they knew was going to lose. A number of them saw the light before it was too late and jumped ship to join the winning side. The rest have now lost face before their various congregations, which they will now have to persuade to accept the new Constitution which many will have no option but to pray for. All the lies they told about the Proposed Constitution will have to be corrected by the same people who have voices on pulpits. The sad truth is that a lot of them are bound to lose respect from their own flock.

Another group of Kenyans that is likely to be unhappy with the new Constitution include people who expected to have their own counties but at the moment feel they have been swallowed up by larger ethnic group with which hey have been dumped together. A lot of politicians who have been behaving like kings and queens in their own little tribes will neither be able to be governors of the counties they belong to nor represent their people in the Senate. In this group are people like Naomi Shaban who is the undisputed leader of the Taveta people.

But now she belongs to Taita-Taveta County which will obviously elect a Taita to the Senate and have another Taita as the new governor.Unfortunately for Shaban, her own people of Taveta overwhelmingly voted "YES" for the Proposed Constitution sending her a clear message that in 2012 she may may find it difficult to go back to Parliament as they may chose someone who will cooperate with the Government in implementing the new Constitution. If ever there will be a Cabinet reshuffle after the referendum, Naomi Shaban seems to be the most threatened Minister.

Among the misguided people of Kenya are the Kambas who have, for all practical purposes , rejected the Proposed Constitution. This is likely to embarrass the Vice President and a number of top civil servants from the community who will now have an uphill task to convince their colleagues in the Government that they mean business in implementing the demands of the new Constitution in general and Agenda Four of the national accord in particular . The error of judgement was made by Kalonzo Musyoka who wanted to save the KKK unity that would have sponsored him as the 2015 presidential candidate.

Unfortunately that plan has boomeranged badly on Kalonzo Musyoka,who was booed by a large crowd that turned up at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre to celebrate the "YES" victory. Obviously the people see Kalonzo as an insincere partner in the Raila-Kibaki coalition Government. Besides that the people’s endorsement of the Proposed Constitution means the death of KKK. Uhuru Kenyatta now belongs to a winning political camp and nothing will convince him to go back to the rejected camp as the Kalonzo-Ruto political group can hardly get more than 30% support of the people of Kenya .