ODM pledges to defy Cabinet on new laws

ODM will oppose a Cabinet proposal to amend a section of the Constitution, Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba has said.

Mr Namwamba said debate orchestrated by Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Mutula Kilonzo seeking to amend the Constitution would water the document down. (READ: Bill seeking changes tabled in House)

“We will vehemently oppose the Cabinet proposal to have a section of the Constitution haphazardly shelved with the intention of satisfying the egos of a clique of selfish individuals,” the MP said on Tuesday.

He was speaking at Rambwa Primary School in his Budalang’i constituency during the handover of a Sh1.5 million administration block donated by Kenya Commercial Bank.

Mr Namwamba said the new Constitution was barely one year old and amending it at such an early stage would be tantamount to derailing the gains Kenyans have made.

He said that as the secretary of ODM parliamentary group in the House, he would lobby enough support to ensure that not a word of the document was altered.

Numerical strength

“As secretary of the parliamentary group, I will ensure that the party’s numerical strength in the House plays a key role in defeating the proposed amendments,” Mr Namwamba declared.

His remarks come in the wake of divided opinion by MPs on whether to change the new election date and revise the gender parity rule.

Mr Namwamba said attempting to amend the Constitution was reverting to the dark days where women were oppressed by successive regimes.