Kenya's social media atweet with referendum chatter

A Twitter page is displayed on a laptop computer in Los Angeles October 13, 2009. Kenya's social media was abuzz with users urging their friends to vote peacefully in Wednesday's referendum, or keeping followers abreast with events throughout the east African country.

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's social media was abuzz with users urging their friends to vote peacefully in Wednesday's referendum, or keeping followers abreast with events throughout the east African country.

Some 12.5 million Kenyans have registered to vote in a plebiscite on whether to adopt a new constitution, which many hope will usher in good governance of the region's biggest economy and end years of legal impunity for its leaders.

Kenyans have been clamouring for a new constitution for decades, but rejected another document at a referendum in 2005.

"This is an emotional day for me, this vote is for my children, that they may grow and live in freedom from oppression, greed, corruption, torture, name it," Rhoda Igweta said on her Facebook page.

Kenyans were also using Twitter to send real-time updates to a website monitoring election incidents. (www.uchaguzi.co.ke)

A Nigerian tweeter -- Enough is Enough Nigeria! -- chipped in to commend young Kenyans for reporting their voting experiences using social media.

Someone named Teganbukowski informed followers: "Woman goes into labour at Kabete polling station. Voters have pre-named the baby 'Red Wafula Green'.

Red is the campaign colour assigned to those opposed to the new constitution and green for those who want to see a 1960s-era charter changed. Wafula is the Luhya-language name given to boys born during the rainy season.

"International observers would be impressed with Hardy voting station, GSU (paramilitary) ladies in freshly braided hair. Sharply dressed chaps guiding u to your poll booth ... a sand pit for the kids, I kid u not!!" Simon posted on Facebook.

"REVOLUTIONARY"

The stream of updates, many emotional, have been made possible partly by the spread of mobile phones. Kenya has a mobile phone penetration of more than 50 percent and many users can access the Internet for as little as 8 shillings ($0.1) for 10 megabytes per day.

"We have gone from being able to communicate amongst a few people ... to be able to reach thousands of people in one go on a democratic platform. It's revolutionary, I think," said Aly Khan Satchu, a prolific Twitter user with over 5,000 followers.

"It is a trend in society where people can actually gather in scale and can respond ... going forward, it is going to be an important area for politics and the way the country engages," said the Nairobi-based independent analyst.

Kenya has been a pioneer in some mobile phone applications, introducing M-Pesa, a mobile phone money transfer service, and M-Kesho, a mobile banking product in a region where few people hold bank accounts.

Most polls show that Kenyans will vote in the new constitution.

Many of them were scarred by violence that killed 1,300 people and displaced over 300,000 after elections in 2007. This time, many have asked their compatriots through traditional media and social sites to keep the peace.

"Vote or Die," KipQuiet said on Twitter.