Nairobi — Clerics from protestant churches yesterday launched a campaign to block the adoption of the new Constitution.

They are asking Kenyans to reject the proposed new Constitution when it is subjected to the national referendum in November, and then wait for the next cause of action.

They also rejected a proposal to establish Christian courts alongside the Kadhis courts, saying it risked turning Kenya into a religious state.

"In light of the flawed process through which the AG's draft is going to be founded, we are forced to call upon all Kenyans to vote NO to the proposed draft bill.

We would rather stay with the current Constitution and review it at a later date than get into a bus that is headed for a crash," they said after a closed-door meeting at the Grand Regency Hotel, in Nairobi.

Kigumo MP Kihara Mwangi attended the meeting chaired by head of the umbrella churches organisation, National Council of Churches of Kenya, Dr Jesse Kamau.

The Rev Mutava Musyimi of the Baptist Church, who has been spearheading the faiths-led initiative for an alternative Constitution, was absent.

Anglican Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi did not attend the meeting but was named as signatories to the press statement read by Bishop Patrick Mungai of Gospel Evangelical Church.

Meeting under the banner of the Kenya Church, the clerics opposed the process because "it was being forced to a conclusion without involving the people of Kenya."

"We note with concern that the contentious issues were not even properly discussed by Parliament before being forwarded to the Attorney General and the resulting Bill is therefore subject to numerous court litigations," they said.

But even as they take the Government to task over the review, the clerics seem to contradict themselves over the issue of referendum and anticipated Bill from AG.

While they do not support the referendum because it has not been provided for in the Constitution, they want Kenyans "to turn out in large numbers to reject the Draft Bill at the referendum."

Elsewhere, political leaders yesterday criticised 10 Gusii MPs who supported the mutilated Bomas Draft constitution.

The leaders from the Gusii community termed the MPs as traitors for going against the wishes of the community.

Speaking during the launch of civic education to residents of West Mugirango, in Nyamira District, the leaders declared they had no respect for the MPs.