NAIROBI, July 3 (Xinhuanet) -- Kenyan police were on Saturday put on a high alert in capital Nairobi and clashed with the demonstrators who accused the government's failure to introduce a new constitution in the country.

    The security presence in and around the city was heavy as the police who had sealed all entry points into the capital city.

    Chanting the slogan of "We want a new constitution!" the demonstrators marched toward Uhuru Park in central Nairobi, and some demonstrators were even accusing the present government of going back to the dark old days of political repression under the former regime.

    The demonstrators clashed with the police who were monitoring the rally by helicopters and patrol vehicles. Police armed with batons and others on horseback chased demonstrators from the edge of Uhuru Park.

    Currently, the eastern African country is being annoyed by a constitution crisis.

    The Kenyan government has repeatedly promised that the country's 40-year old constitution, which dates back to Kenya's independence from Britain, will be replaced.

    President Mwai Kibaki had also promised to introduce a new constitution within 100 days after coming to power in December 2002 but the deadline then slipped to June 30 this year and then further postponed.

    Instead, Kibaki on Wednesday reshuffled his cabinet, bringing some people from the former ruling party Kenya African National Union into the government and demoted members of the Liberal Democratic Party, a faction within the ruling coalition party thathad been lobbying for a new constitution.

    There has been a mixed reaction to the announcement by Kibaki on the cabinet reshuffle and the postponement of the deadline for a new constitution. Members of parliament in the ruling party saidthat Kenya could be headed for chaos while others praised Kibaki'scall for consensus. Both camps plan rival rallies at the weekend.

    However, the Kenyan police on Friday banned the two political rallies due to take place on Saturday in Nairobi.

    Addressing a news conference, Kenyan Police Commissioner Hussein Ali warned supporters of the factions to stay away from the proposed venues in the capital because of worries of violence.

    He said intelligence reports show certain leaders have hired dissident groups to hijack the rallies.

    Responding to the wrangling situation in the country, Kenyan Vice President Moody Awori made an appeal last week to organizers of the two public rallies to cancel them and give dialogue a chance, calling on Kenyans to rededicate themselves to the serviceof the nation. Enditem