27 August 2010, Nairobi — Kenya took its place at the high table of nations with progressive constitutions at a euphoric ceremony in Nairobi laced with historical significance.

Before an overflowing crowd that included several African heads of state, President Kibaki signed the new constitution at 10.27am.

At the stroke of the pen and to the echo of a 21-gun salute, the nation shed off a set of laws inherited from the British and entered a new constitutional dispensation in which the powers of the presidency will be reduced and far-reaching changes introduced to tackle inequality and promote greater national cohesion.

Some 150,000, by police estimates, watched as President Kibaki hailed the endorsement of the new law as a turning point for the nation.

"The dawn of a new era is upon us. Let us seize the moment with courage because the birth of the Second Republic holds great promise for the Kenyan people," he said.

The mood at Uhuru Park was one of elation mixed with a palpable sense of hope. Tens of thousands filled the arena as early as 6.30 am in a bid to get the best seats, with about a dozen choosing to hang precariously from the branches of a tree in the middle of the park.

But the light-hearted mood could not mask the historical significance of an occasion billed as the most important the nation has witnessed since December 12, 1964.

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga - two men who could barely make eye contact during the signing of the national accord which ended the worst post election crisis in Kenyan history - were warm and effusive in their remarks.

Mr Odinga praised his rival at the 2007 General Election for leading the campaigns that yielded the new constitution and called on the nation to grab the chance to "begin writing the story of an equal and just society" on the clean new page the nation had turned.