Nairobi — An assistant minister has defended President Kibaki over accusations that he did not deliver on his promise to give Kenyans a new constitution within 100 days.

Former president Moi on Wednesday hit back at President Kibaki, who had accused him of misleading Kenyans on the contents of the proposed Constitution and having failed on reforms during his 24 years in power.

Mr Moi said the President was quick to point fingers yet he had not given Kenyans a new constitutional dispensation within 100 days as pledged in 2002.

"Moi had 8,760 days to give us katiba (constitution) instead, he gave us corruption, economic decay and detentions, Kenya is still paying for the previous regime's mistakes," Youth and Sports assistant minister Kabando wa Kabando said.

"Unlike former President Moi, Kibaki has revived Kenya Co-operative Creameries, Kenya Meat Commission, Agricultural Finance Corporation, irrigation schemes; water project, Kibaki has brought Constituency Development Fund, rural electricity, free elementary education, to mention but a few ..... Moi is paranoid of a new dawn."

The Mukurweini MP said individual presidents have made their legacy based on their style of leadership but with the passing of the proposed Constitution, the management of the country's resources will be based on universally standardised policies and laws.

"With only five days to go we are witnessing last minutes botched attempts to propagate lies and distort facts about a good proposed Constitution. As Kenyans, we should stay focused on the new dawn ahead," Mr Kabando said in a statement.

Separately, Western Province Council of Elders member Lucas Watta, who served as a provincial police boss under Mr Moi, said it is wrong for the former president to hit out at a sitting President in public.

He said Mr Moi's attacks could stir unnecessary tension in the country and that he would serve Kenyans better by retiring peaceful and engaging in philanthropy like former US president Bill Clinton and Tanzania's Benjamin Mkapa.

"The former president is Kenya's first to retire and is showing a bad example to those to follow. He has no moral authority as he failed Kenyans during his rule which was riddled with tribal clashes, road accidents due to bad roads, persistent famine and hunger due to poor food policy and deaths from preventable diseases," Mr Watta said by phone.

Although Mr Moi boasts of peace and stability during his regime, Mr Watta said, Kenyans lacked psychological peace and died of hunger, poor public transport policy and ignorance as a result of high cost of elementary education.