Mainstream Christian Churches in Kenya are rising up to reject the Country's Revised Constitution - the Wako Draft which began print today under heavy security.
The Churches are emphatically campaigning for a 'No' vote in a forthcoming November referendum on the revised Constitution, which has been put together by Attorney General Amos Wako.
For the last two weeks, Wako and a team of consitution drafers have pitched camps in Leisure Beach Hotel in the South Coast preparing the Draft so that it could be submitted within 30 days of passing through Parliament, thereby meeting the deadlines set out in the Constitution of Kenya Amendment Act.
However, there is huge opposition to the Draft which is seen as a betrayal to the people. It drastically revises an original document put together by the National Constitutional Conference (NCC)last year - popularly known as the Bomas Draft.
"Kenyans had written the constitution they wanted. It is called the Bomas Draft. That is actually the constitution." said Catholic Archbishop Zaccheus Okoth.
And speaking in Eldoret on Thursday, the chairman of the Catholic Episcopal Conference, Bishop Cornelius Korir, said the Catholic Church does not recognise the Kilifi recommendations from which the current Wako Draft is based.
Nairobi based Bishop Margaret Wanjiru of Jesus is Alive Ministries also said her Church would oppose the draft constitution due to the arrogance of the government.
"We have tried our best to negotiate with all parties ever since 2002. We have put our demands on the table, that the constitution should be made neutral when it comes to religious matters, but for some strange reason, the government is still insisting on including the Kadhi's courts in the constitution," Bishop Wanjiru said.
The Anglican Church have backed the sentiments of the other mainstream Churches in Kenya. Bishop Kenneth Ochiel of South Nyanza's said the Church would not accept the new constitution since it elevates one religion by the inclusion of Kadhi's courts - Islamic religious courts.
