The Kenyan parliament has formally adopted constitutional reforms intended to avoid bloodshed ahead of elections expected to take place later this year.
The changes provide for the repeal of laws that allow detention without trial, and approve the expansion of Kenya's electoral commission to bring in members nominated by the opposition. They also provide for equal access to state media by the opposition and President Daniel arap Moi's ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU).
The parliament approved the reforms yesterday and also voted to give a constitutional commission two years to review and make amendments to the constitution.
The reforms were part of a package worked out by the Inter-Parties Parliamentary Group (IPPG), which includes parliamentarians from Mr Moi's ruling Kenya African National Union (KANU) and the parliamentary opposition.
"We saw that our country was headed for chaos and we decided to take this bold step, talk to each other, agree on changes before elections, avoid bloodshed," said Mr Jillo Falana, one of four co-convenors of the IPPG.
The IPPG reforms came ahead of a campaign of mass action intended to force the government to agree to reforms and planned by the oppositionbacked National Convention Executive Council (NCEC). The NCEC had called a national strike next Thursday and Friday as part of a series of demonstrations to force Mr Moi to agree to change.