Vote in Kenya: Why U.S. Abortion Debate Has Become a Factor

Nairobi, Kenya— -- Millions of Kenyans have taken to the polls in one of the country's most historic elections. They are voting for a new draft constitution that if passed, will overhaul the current constitution, which was ratified at the country's independence in 1963.

Haunting this election is the country's last general election, which was also considered historic but for all the wrong reasons.

The vote in the 2007 presidential election, which was largely considered to be rigged, plunged this normally peaceful nation into unprecedented violence. Ugly ethnic clashes resulted in the deaths of more than 1,000 people and sent half a million residents fleeing from their homes. Neighbor turned against neighbor, and Kenya suddenly found its self on the brink of civil war.

The violence came to an end after President Mwai Kibaki and his opponent Raila Odinga signed a peace accord and adopted major government reforms, including a power-sharing agreement making Odinga the Prime Minister. In addition a new constitution would be written which would reduce the powers of the presidency and provide a better system of checks and balances.

Now both leaders find themselves on the same side, actively campaigning for Kenyans to vote "yes". In Kibera, a slum outside of Nairobi, hundreds cheered loudly as Odinga cast his vote. He predicted that at least 70% of the country will vote for the new constitution.

"The current constitution is what caused all of the problems during the 2007 election," said Peter Temba, 43, a volunteer for voter education in Kibera, where he lives. "If we can really think about who we are as Kenyans and what we want, we would vote in this constitution so that we'll have a new one that will cater for each and every Kenyan."

But not everyone is in favor of the new constitution. Like all elections in Kenya, there is a tribal element to the voting.

Members of the Kalenjin tribe, one of the country's largest which was blamed for much of the violence in 2007, have been campaigning hard against the constitution's passage, couching it as harmful to their community's land rights. Their opposition is raising concern that there will be a repeat of the violence from two years ago.