NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 6 – The Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) has lauded the peaceful Constitution referendum, terming it as a show of maturity by Kenyans.
Secretary General Adan Wachu said on Friday that the exercise reflected positively on the image of the country in Africa and internationally.
He expressed confidence that the new Constitution would ensure that issues affecting Kenyans were adequately addressed.
“We are going to have a Constitution that has been made in this country unlike the 1963 Constitution,” Mr Wachu said. “There will be decentralisation of activities and those who are normally ignored will be heard now. Provisions that Muslims had asked for have been retained.”
He called on those who had opposed the passage of the new law to support it in a bid to foster unity in the country.
“None of them classified Kadhi’s courts as contentious. None of them classified abortion as contentious, it was unanimously passed as non-contentious,” he pointed out. “The contentious issues generally have been overtaken by events.”
He thanked both Prime Minister Raila Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki for successfully steering the country in the quest for a new Constitution.
“The Muslim community would like to salute the brigade from the Yes team under the sole command and guidance of President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga for leading the major onslaught towards the realisation of a new Constitution,” Mr Wachu stated.
“Supkem would like to praise the entire Muslim leadership and institutions for being obedient and law abiding during the entire referendum euphoria,” he said.
“Dear Muslims, your silence and reasons have finally saved this nation from regional, ethnic and religious intolerance. As an integral part of Kenya, we shall continue to build, foster and promote unity of purpose for us and future generations.”
The SUPKEM leader emphasised the need for the Constitution to be implemented as fast as possible if it is to benefit Kenyans fully.
“We saw what we expected in the last three days. Kenyans were sober. We all saw what happened and this is an indication of the confidence that Kenyans wield at this particular time,” he said.
“People are tired of hallucinations and issues that they cannot comprehend. We needed to have a new constitutional dispensation and implement it as fast as possible,” he stated.
He called on Kenyans to put in place the necessary mechanisms to ensure that civic education is conducted at all levels.
“We are now calling upon Parliament to legislate the necessary amendments and at the same time establish provisions where thorough civic education can be conducted,”
“It is a Constitution that we have all accepted. To us and to many others, there are no contentious issues at all since Kenyans gave it a resounding Yes and we agreed to pass a new Constitution.
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