A landslide referendum victory gave Kenyans a new constitution that had proven controversial among Christian leaders during the campaign phase.
Preliminary results show that nearly 70 percent of Kenyan voters approved the draft constitution. Many Christian leaders, who had objected to sections that loosened restrictions on abortion and gave legitimacy to Islamic courts on certain matters of family law, were unhappy with the decision but urged Kenyans to react peacefully.
"Thanks for the peace, and we ask you to continue living in peace," said Roman Catholic Bishop Cornelius Korir according to CatholicCulture.org.
The referendum substantially revises the constitution which Kenya adopted when it broke off from Britain in 1963. The referendum, which in part reforms the electoral system and limits the power of the president, was prompted by the contested 2007 presidential election which sparked tribal violence resulting in more than 1,000 deaths.
While church leaders have vowed to accept the democratic ...
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