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News
Thursday, June 10, 1999

Reforms demo gains support as minister calls for restraint


By NATION Team

With hours ticking towards the constitution review demonstration, Education Minister Kalonzo Musyoka yesterday appealed for restraint from the marchers.

He said anarchy could result from the planned peaceful demonstration and this would scare away investors.

"We must get rid of emotionalism. The Constitution-making process is a complex matter that must be approached with sobriety because it involves the destiny of the country as a whole," he said.

Defending the government's proposal to have the constitutional review referred to Parliament, Mr Musyoka said no-one wanted to dictate the process. President Moi's remarks had been "grossly misinterpreted", he said.

He asked the clergy to be diplomatic since the era of street demonstrations was over.

But as he was calling for restraint, support for the demonstration continued to grow.

The secretary to Chemchemi ya Ukweli Movement - which has organised the demonstration, Mr Said Athman, said his organisation was committed to ensuring that the public were included in the review process.

He said the demonstrators will not retaliate even if police interfered with today's march. "We will just sit down as they descend on us."

He said police had shown interest in ensuring the procession is peaceful "although we have information that Kanu wants to plan a parallel demonstration to disrupt ours".

Yesterday, police spokesman Peter Kimanthi, said police had a role to ensure peace was maintained in today's procession.

The head of the Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop David Gitari said any attempt to refer the review process to Parliament would be peacefully blocked.

His church will participate in the demonstration.

The director of the Ecumenical Centre for Peace and Justice, Reverend Jephitha Gathaka and the Kirinyaga DP branch organising secretary, Mr Muriithi Kang'ara, asked police not to interfere with the demonstration.

The chairman of the caretaker committee of the unregistered Islamic Party of Kenya, Sheikh Mohammed Khalifa, announced that IPK youth would join in the demonstration.

Sheikh Khalifa said those Parliamentarians supporting the government's decision were misguided and acting out of fear.

Former Kisauni legislator Rashid Mzee, while supporting the demonstration, suggested that the government appoint four constitutional lawyers to re-draft the Constitution.

He said that the lawyers should draw up three constitutions namely - a unitary system of government, a constitution which creates the posts of a prime minister and a majimbo (federal) constitution.

He said that the three constitutions would then be presented to the public during a referendum.

Former Mombasa Mayor Najib Balala said the review should be people-driven and Parliament should only be involved at the last stages to ensure that views of the majority were contained in the new Constitution.

Thirty-three civic leaders from Narok County Council led by chairman Stephen Ntoros condemned the demonstration saying it would be an exercise in futility as the government would not change its mind.

Officials of the Nyanza inter-denominational Church and State Cooperation, led by their chairman, Dr Washington Ogonyo Ngede, warned that the peaceful demonstration would be hijacked by hoodlums and end in bloodshed.

The Church leaders in Nyanza supported President Moi's plan to take the review back to Parliament.

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