Increasing strife over Kenya constitution

NAIROBI – A tense week of referendum campaigning for a controversial new constitution for Kenya culminated this weekend in clashes between opponents and police leaving at least four people dead in Mombasa.

President Mwai Kibaki issued an appeal for calm from the Kenyan Indian Ocean port city after bullets killed four demonstrators, bringing the death toll during the referendum campaign to a total of nine. The referendum is set for November 21.On Sunday, police briefly engaged mobs opposed to the new draft constitution in running battles in western Kenya’s border town of Busia in a rally organised by Vice President Moody Awori.Police said they managed to subdue the youth, who had briefly blocked the road to Uganda, and the rally continued.Also on Sunday, police summoned seven lawmakers including an assistant minister to explain allegations they made that chaos was being planned for voting day.The members of the Kenyan parliament are expected to report on Monday to shed “more light on their allegations,” police said.The proposed constitution, which creates a post of prime minister but retains strong presidential powers, has deeply divided Kenyan society and even split the government.Kibaki insists the draft, the first major change to Kenya’s constitution since independence from Britain in 1963, addresses the concerns of all Kenyans.But the political opposition, led by the son of Kenya’s founding president Jomo Kenyatta and including members of Kibaki’s coalition government, says it provides for nearly absolute presidential powers.Dozens were injured when police opened fire Friday while attempting to disperse a demonstration of angry young opponents of the planned constitution who had gathered in the suburb of Likoni.The demonstrators were protesting against a ban on a planned meeting of constitution critics, said police Major Simon Gatiba.The meeting had been banned for security reasons, he said.The rally organised by a group of politicians opposed to the new charter was banned because President Kibaki was in the region.Calm returned to Mombasa on Sunday with no immediate incidents reported.Government spokesman Alfred Mutua blamed politicians including government ministers for inciting youth to cause skirmishes.He said police had to open live fire to defend themselves after a group of youths attacked a district officer’s office.- Nampa-AFPThe referendum is set for November 21.On Sunday, police briefly engaged mobs opposed to the new draft constitution in running battles in western Kenya’s border town of Busia in a rally organised by Vice President Moody Awori.Police said they managed to subdue the youth, who had briefly blocked the road to Uganda, and the rally continued.Also on Sunday, police summoned seven lawmakers including an assistant minister to explain allegations they made that chaos was being planned for voting day.The members of the Kenyan parliament are expected to report on Monday to shed “more light on their allegations,” police said.The proposed constitution, which creates a post of prime minister but retains strong presidential powers, has deeply divided Kenyan society and even split the government.Kibaki insists the draft, the first major change to Kenya’s constitution since independence from Britain in 1963, addresses the concerns of all Kenyans.But the political opposition, led by the son of Kenya’s founding president Jomo Kenyatta and including members of Kibaki’s coalition government, says it provides for nearly absolute presidential powers.Dozens were injured when police opened fire Friday while attempting to disperse a demonstration of angry young opponents of the planned constitution who had gathered in the suburb of Likoni.The demonstrators were protesting against a ban on a planned meeting of constitution critics, said police Major Simon Gatiba.The meeting had been banned for security reasons, he said.The rally organised by a group of politicians opposed to the new charter was banned because President Kibaki was in the region.Calm returned to Mombasa on Sunday with no immediate incidents reported.Government spokesman Alfred Mutua blamed politicians including government ministers for inciting youth to cause skirmishes.He said police had to open live fire to defend themselves after a group of youths attacked a district officer’s office.- Nampa-AFP