Kenya is a colourful country, and nowhere more so than in the world of politics. During the last constitutional referendum in 2005, the opposing sides selected oranges and bananas as their symbols. The year 2010, meanwhile, is now characterised as the year of the "watermelon". How is one to make sense of the current political, and in turn touristic, situation in this fascinating country?
On August 5th, the vast majority of Kenyans voted "Yes" (with "Yes" supporters donning the colour green) in a referendum on a new constitution. In many ways, this is long overdue. The current constitution was hammered out in Britain in the 60s, when Kenya was granted independence after years of struggle. On the face of things, the new constitution aims to rid Kenya of its current status quo, decentralize government and clean up Kenyan politics, by devolving power to local government in 47 counties, reducing the powers of the president and making MPs generally more accountable. There would also be a second chamber of parliament, in place to check the president's powers.
This all sounds very appealing, but the "No" movement in Kenya (characterised by the colour red, for stop) was not without its supporters. The constitution also contains a land commission, allowing any land that was illegally acquired to be repossessed. This particular proposal made many in the Rift Valley province, where land is a contentious issue, rather uncomfortable. Other "No" supporters were Christian Churches, who viewed the new constitutions retention of Muslim Kadhi courts as discriminatory.
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Still, despite the overwhelming support shown for the new constitution on August 5th, the battle for a reformed Kenya is not quite over. Enter those politicians whom the BBC has dubbed "watermelons" – they ostentatiously support the constitution, yet are in fact against it and will work against it if it is eventually introduced. These Kenyan politicians might be green on the outside, but they're certainly red on the inside.
Fruit references aside, the voting in this month's referendum went ahead largely peacefully, with no serious incidents recorded. This is undoubtedly good news for Kenya's tourism. Kenyan citizens, Kenyan politicians and anyone who has visited and loves this country will breathe a sigh of relief, and maintain their hopes that Kenya is entering a new era of transparency and peace. Kenya can now continue on its already rapid path to recovery from the chaos of the disputed 2007 general elections. According to the Ministry of Tourism, many target market countries, including the United States, South Africa, China, Finland and Russia, had recovered fully by the end of last year.
Tom Powell works for Ziara Safaris, a Kenya tour operator that specialises in private and custom safaris.
