Hundreds of Kenyans took to the streets on Tuesday to celebrate the rejection by voters of a proposed new constitution in a historic Monday referendum even before the official results were released by the electoral body.

The streets of the Kenyan capital is currently drenched with Orange celebrants, dancing, chanting and singing in the streets as partial results released by the election commission showed an overwhelming rejection of the charter.

Critics of the charter which has divided the east African nation's 32 million people which is being led by Roads Minister Raila Odinga are set to hold a press conference later to accept the outcome of the vote process.

President Mwai Kibaki who has been backing the charter and was leading the Yes camp was also scheduled to address the nation.

Immigrations Minister Linah Kilimo, one of the seven ministers opposed to the charter expressed joy over the victory.

"When I said my people had made up their minds and asked me to support the Orange team, many thought it was a lie. I am happy the results have just proven that they indeed spoke. I am glad I obeyed them," said Kilimo.

Kenya African National Union (KANU) Secretary General William Ruto said the Banana camp should learn a bitter political lesson from its defeat in the national referendum and be ready to dialogue for the sake of giving the country an acceptable constitution.

"The Kenyan people have spoken clearly by way of rejecting the Draft Constitution and we expect our brothers on the other side of the political divide to learn from that and be ready to go back to the negotiation table with us," said Ruto who is a key member of the Orange team.

Another proponent of the "No" camp, KANU shadow attorney- general Mutula Kilonzo, said instead that Kibaki's Attorney- General Amos Wako and Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Kiraitu Murungi should resign over their roles in drawing up a document overwhelmingly rejected by the Kenyan people.

"The fact of the matter is that the moment you stop listening to the public you lose but we had ears to the ground," said Kilonzo, the main critic of the draft.

However, the supporters of the charter which was expected to replace the current one which was drawn up on the eve of Kenya's independence in 1963, said there was no need to panic.

"We said previously we will abide by the results, however disappointing. There is no crisis, there is no vacuum, and there is a constitution in place that will continue governing this country," Water Minister Martha Karua reportedly said.

Her Lands counterpart Amos Kimunya accepted the defeat and said they will soldier on.

"We have learnt a lot from this referendum and now know where we erred," said Kimunya by telephone.

The country's electoral commission is expected to announce the official results soon but provisional results released so far put Orange side on the lead with 3.5 million votes, or about 60 percent, of the ballots that were counted by early Tuesday.

The commission said the margin in favor of those rejecting the proposed constitution may widen, as many of votes from the "Yes" campaign's heartland have already come in.

Political analysts say it is a huge setback for President Kibaki and will be seen as a protest vote against him ahead of general elections due in 2007.

The "Yes" team used the banana symbol, while an orange represented the "No" campaign.

The fruits were chosen by Kenya's electoral commission as non- party political symbols and to aid illiterate voters.

Some 11.6 million Kenyans were eligible to vote in the referendum, held after a bitter campaign marred by violence in which at least nine people were killed and rallies were routinely disrupted.

However, Monday's polls were largely calm as long lines of voters queued to cast ballots amid tight security.

Source: Xinhua