In a referendum held on November 21, the people of Kenya overwhelmingly rejected the draft of a new constitution by a margin of roughly one million votes. If adopted, the new constitution commonly referred to as the Wako draft, would have replaced the Lancaster House Constitution which has been in effect since the country’s independence in 1963. The new constitution was unpopular among many constituencies including indigenous groups such as the Ogiek and Maasai. Those in the opposition camp argued that the Wako draft did not do enough to curb presidential power.
An earlier draft, known as the Bomas draft, would have guaranteed civil rights, the return of ancestral lands taken from indigenous groups in the past, and official recognition and protection of unique cultures. Alterations of the Bomas draft made by parliament and the government resulted in the unpopular Wako draft. Following the results, President Mwai Kibaki said he accepted the results of the referendum and congratulated the people of Kenya for conducting themselves peacefully throughout the democratic process.
