Kenyan voters support new constitution

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- The new Kenyan constitution, which includes a bill of rights, has been adopted with approval from 67 percent of the voters, officials say.

The official tally was announced Thursday, a day after the referendum.

Both President Mwai Kibaki and Raile Odinga, his former rival -- who now serves as his prime minister under a power-sharing agreement -- hailed the outcome of Wednesday's vote, The New York Times reported. Kibaki, speaking at a rally in Nairobi Thursday, called the constitution "our shield and defender as we strive to conquer poverty, disease and ignorance."

Others had mixed feelings about the vote, glad that it took place without the violence that has marked recent elections, and concerned about voting patterns. Maina Kiai, who runs a civic education group, said the outcome showed many Kenyans still follow tribal leaders.

He pointed to the almost unanimous vote in favor of the constitution in Nyanza, Odinga's base.

"I wonder how many of these people knew exactly what was in the Constitution. It's a bit worrying," he told the Times.

Since independence, Kenya has had a political system that vests great power in the presidency. The constitution gives more authority to local government.