Kenya prepares to vote on new constitution

On 4 August Kenyans are called to take part in a referendum on a proposed new constitution that has divided politicians and the country.

12.4 million Kenyans out of a total population of around 40 million are eligible to vote in the poll according to the independent interim electoral commission, and many people have reportedly already made the journey to their home town or village to cast their ballot. Polling stations open at 06.00 and close at 17.00 local time and the day has been declared a national holiday in order to encourage a good voter turnout.

For the first time the results from individual polling stations will be counted and communicated simultaneously to the constituency tallying centres and to the national tallying centre in Nairobi to increase transparency. In previous elections results have been gathered at a constituency level before being transmitted to the capital, leading to claims of fraud. Official results are expected sometime on 6 August.

The referendum campaign has been marked by strong divisions in Kenyan society, with proponents of the