A year to the day after the launch of Ukraine's Orange Revolution, dancing Kenyans wielded the same fruit today to celebrate a remarkable political victory over their president.

Electoral officials said that voters had rejected by some 57 per cent to 43 per cent a draft constitution that would have reinforced the powers of President Mwai Kibaki, in Kenya's first-ever referendum on Monday.

Small but jubilant crowds paraded through Nairobi to celebrate the result, holding oranges aloft as they went. They danced and sung near the parliament building and chanted "No, no, no" as Mr Kibaki prepared to give a televised address to the nation.

To help illiterate voters make their choice, the orange had been used as a ballot symbol representing a 'no' vote, while the banana had been used as the symbol of the 'yes' campaign.

In a brief speech in Swahili, a sombre Mr Kibaki said: "Kenyans have made their decision. My Government will respect the will of the people.

"I would like to congratulate all of you for participating peacefully in this historic occasion," he added. "This is a big step in the democracy of our nation.

"The purpose of this process was not to identify winners or losers, but to define the decision of Kenyans. That decision has been made and by voting peacefully Kenyans have shown their respect for ... the rule of law."

Mr Kibaki has spent a large amount of political capital trying to push through what would have been the first major amendment of Kenya's constitution since it won independence from Britain in 1963.

The draft constitution had split Mr Kibaki's own government, which some of his own cabinet ministers protesting that it enshrined the President's near-absolute powers while creating a token post of prime minister.

Some Christian church leaders also opposed to the document because it gives legal status to Muslim courts, and carries provisions that they believe could legalise abortion on-demand and gay marriage.

Mr Kibaki told the nation that any new effort to revise or replace the existing charter would take a backseat to development goals. "The time has come to direct our energy to development," he said. "I urge that we continue to live together as a nation, this is what is we are proud of. God bless you and God bless Kenya."

The defeat of the draft constitution followed a vitriolic and violent campaign that deeply split the Kibaki’s government and the East African nation and saw at least eight people killed in political violence. The rejection has been seen as a sign of increasing disenchantment with Mr Kibaki, who has failed to follow through on campaign promises to clean up endemic corruption and implement reforms.

Mr Kibaki had hinted at major changes in his Cabinet no matter what the result of the referendum, and observers believe the first to be sacked will be Raila Odinga, the Minister for Roads, who campaigned strongly against the document. Six other ministers also opposed the draft constitution.

Mr Kibaki was swept to victory in a 2002 election on a wave of resentment at poverty and corruption under the 24-year rule of Daniel arap Moi, his predecessor.

A rift opened in the government early on when he abandoned a pledge to appoint the ambitious Mr Odinga, the LDP leader, as prime minister, putting him in charge of roads instead.

Mr Kibaki won strong endorsement from the Central Province heartland of his own Kikuyu tribe in Monday's vote but received uneven support in much of the rest of the country, especially in Mr Odinga’s Luo tribe’s homeland in western Kenya.

Electoral Commission figures showed the 'no' camp winning 3.5 million votes, against 2.5 million for the 'yes' campaign. "It’s a revolution for the orange," Kanyiha Karoti, a political analyst, told Reuters news agency.

Explore World News

• World Agenda

• Iraq News

• US & Americas News

• Europe News

• Middle East News

• Asia News

• Africa News

• Ireland News

Times Recommends

• Thousands of Tamils dying in 'welfare camp'
• Jackson 'rebuilt his nose before he died'
• Renewed Iran protests crushed by militia