Kenya

"CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM."

On 21 November, Kenyans countrywide voted in the referendum for the proposed new constitution. The draft constitution, which itself had been developed after a much debated and lengthy consultation process, was finally put to the people whose affiliations were distinguished by either oranges – those opposed to, and bananas, those pro the proposed constitution.
In an impressively peaceful display of responsible citizenry, Kenyans unanimously voted orange, resoundingly defeating the bananas, 3,548,477 to 2,532,918. Following the lengthy and on occasion vicious campaign leading up to the referendum, the jubilant orange leaders extended assurances to the Kenyan Government and people of their resolve to advocate for a constitution that would be acceptable to all Kenyans.

UNDP support for the referendum, co-financed by Department of Finance and International Development, Swedish International Development Agency, Norway and the Netherlands, contributed to the free and fair referendum through four tangible outputs:
i) Polling stations countrywide were monitored by polling agents from both sides;
ii) Peace committees were operative;
iii) Balanced and impartial civic education on the current and proposed new constitution was provided to all Kenyans, and
iv) Copies of the proposed new constitution and “popular” versions of the proposed constitution were made accessible to the citizenry.

UNDP’s recognized impartiality and neutrality were the basis for its selection as the vehicle through which the support was channeled.

Useful links:
UNDP-Kenya works with Civil society.
Website on Kenya constitution