Referendum in Kenya

Referendum in Kenya

Referendum in Kenya is a public opinion election which is conducted to either support or oppose something byy them voting. Kenya has conducted only two successful referendums since independence. They were conducted in an aim of to pass a new constitution which will govern them.

The fist referendum was done on 5 November 2005 which the ‘No’ side won. Later another referendum was held in the year 2010 where the new constitution was supported by a very high percentage of the citizens.

However, planning of a referendum requires a lot of funds to facilitate it. This is because it is usually an open national program .

Kenya has held two constitutional referendums in recent history, in 2005 and 2010. The 2005 referendum was defeated, while the 2010 referendum was approved.

The 2005 referendum was held on November 21, 2005. The proposed constitution was defeated by a vote of 57% to 43%. The main reason for the defeat was that the proposed constitution would have created a powerful prime minister position, which many Kenyans saw as a threat to the power of the president.

The 2010 referendum was held on August 4, 2010. The proposed constitution was approved by a vote of 68% to 32%. The main reason for the approval was that the proposed constitution made a number of important changes, including:

• Creating a new bicameral legislature, with a National Assembly and a Senate
• Giving more power to the regions
• Strengthening the judiciary
• Guaranteeing the rights of women and minorities

The 2010 constitution is still in effect today. It has been credited with helping to stabilize Kenya after the violence that followed the 2007 elections.

Here are some additional facts about the referendums in Kenya

• The 2005 referendum was the first time that a constitutional referendum had been held in Kenya.
• The 2010 referendum was the most expensive election in Kenyan history, costing an estimated $400 million.
• The turnout for both referendums was high, with over 80% of eligible voters casting ballots.
• The 2010 referendum was the first time that a constitutional referendum had been held in Africa that was approved by a majority of voters.