Districts get green light to host own parties as part of historic celebration

The ceremony to mark the signing of the new Constitution at Uhuru Park will be replicated at all district headquarters countrywide.

This will enable Kenyans who will not be able to get to Uhuru Park on Friday to witness the historic event.

The celebrations will be conducted at all the gazetted administrative headquarters simultaneously, Mr Isaiah Kabira, head of the Presidential Press Service said.

Dignitaries from different parts of the world are expected to throng Uhuru Park to witness President Kibaki sign the new Constitution into law.

Provincial and district commissioners were instructed last week to organise the events in their respective areas.

Apart from reading of the Presidential speech, the provincial administrators will preside over a march past of regular, Administration Police and officers of other disciplined forces.

Preparations for the historic event continued on Monday with officers from the para-military General Service Unit being deployed in strategic areas around Nairobi.

The officers attached to the Ruiru-based Recce Company will also serve as bodyguards, sentries and escorts for visiting foreign VIPs. They will be assigned chase cars to escort the VIPs throughout their stay in the country.

“Elaborate security measures have been put in place to protect all the VIPs expected in the country and we are happy with arrangements in place so far,” Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said.

Mr Kiraithe said there would be aerial and ground surveillance in and around Uhuru Park and the surrounding areas.

Nairobi town clerk, Mr Philip Kisia, said the council would demolish all structures that had encroached on road reserves and wayleaves.

Address press conference

Head of the Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet, Mr Francis Muthaura, will address a press conference on Tuesday at his Harambee House office on the promulgation ceremony.

On Sunday, General Jeremiah Kianga promised that the armed forces would on Friday put up a military show not seen in Kenya since 1964. It will parade its soldiers, tanks and planes.

Among high ranking dignitaries expected during the occasion are members of the Panel of Eminent African Personalities who helped broker an agreement after the disputed 2007 General Election.

They include former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, Mrs Graca Machel, the wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela, and former presidents Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania and Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique.

Also expected are Presidents Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi and other heads of state and government from different countries.