Okoa Kenya team to meet Attorney- General Githu Muigai on vote funds

Experts leading the Cord campaign for a referendum will meet Attorney-General Githu Muigai on Monday to discuss what role the government will play in the vote expected to cost taxpayers at least Sh8 billion.

Senior Government officials, including Deputy President William Ruto, have voiced their opposition to the referendum.

Sunday, Mr Ruto was chief guest at a funds drive during which Jubilee MPs put pressure on Meru Governor Peter Munya to declare that he had withdrawn his support for the referendum campaign. However, Mr Munya maintained his position.

“We must speak the truth no matter what. Counties are cash-strapped and we need more funds to realise more development,” Mr Munya told a meeting at St Joseph Cathedral in Meru Town.

“If Kenyans tell us that they don’t what more development, then as governors, we will stop asking for the money. But until then, we are asking the national Government to listen to us if they don’t want a referendum.”

FORD KENYA SUPPORT

Also supporting the push for the referendum was his Trans Nzoia counterpart, Mr Patrick Khaemba, who Sunday said: “I stand with my Ford Kenya party and the governors’ council in drumming up support for allocation of more funds for devolution.”

He said it would have been good if the national government would have reached out to Opposition leaders and the governors to address issues being raised.

“We can still save the country from the referendum and instead come up with a formula to tackle the key issues being raised,” he told a meeting in Kitale.

The position of Mr Munya and Mr Khaemba was in contrast with that taken by the Nairobi Governor, Mr Evans Kidero, who said the vote should be the last course of action to amend the Constitution.

“The referendum is provided for in law, but it should only be used as a final resort,” Mr Kidero said.

Last Friday, governors met President Kenyatta in Nairobi, but failed to reach an agreement, prompting them to declare that they would push ahead with their campaigns to change the law and ensure more money is given to counties.

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Okoa Kenya Campaign experts, led by Mr Paul Mwangi, will meet the Attorney General on Monday over the matter, two months after the campaign was launched on Saba Saba Day in July.

“We had requested a meeting with him and he has agreed to talk to us tomorrow afternoon to appraise him on the initiative and also hear from him his views on the referendum question,” Mr Mwangi told the Nation in an interview.

A previous meeting with Prof Muigai was cancelled at the last minute owing to a court case that the AG was involved in as the government’s chief legal advisor.

INCREASE ALLOCATED RESOURCES

Mr Mwangi said his team had identified five broad issues that will be used to develop the amendments to be contained in the draft Bill to be taken to the referendum, namely devolution, land and electoral reforms as well as inclusivity and equality.

The governors are seeking to incorporate into the draft Bill changes to increase the resources allocated to counties from the current 15 per cent to a minimum of 45 per cent of the last audited Government accounts.

They also want to amend the Constitution to strengthen the role of the Senate by making it the Upper House. They further want to change the law on impeachment and ensure that members of county assemblies enjoy similar privileges as MPs. Equally, they want a role for counties in security matters.

The technical team spearheading the push by governors — popularly known as the “Pesa Mashinani” campaign — comprises a University of Nairobi don, Prof Winnie Mitula, Mr Wachira Maina, Law Society of Kenya secretary Apollo Mboya, economist David Ndii, Mr Peter Wanyama and Mr Mansur Isaack.

MT KENYA LEADERS DIVIDED

Leaders in the Mt Kenya East region are divided over the referendum with Meru Governor Peter Munya chairing a committee of the Council of Governors which is spearheading the “Pesa Mashinani” campaign.

His position has been strongly opposed by Jubilee MPs and other leaders from the region, including the Senate Majority Leader, Prof Kithure Kindiki.

Mr Munya Sunday found himself in an awkward position in the presence of Mr Ruto after the Meru MPs and senators pushed him to publicly declare his withdrawal from the push for a referendum.

He said the governors pushing for the referendum were not opposed to the Jubilee government, but were making a call to ensure devolution works for the benefit of all Kenyans through proper funding.

However, Mr Ruto said devolution was anchored in the Constitution, and that the national government was doing all it could to ensure that Kenyans benefit from it.

“We have increased county funding from Sh190 billion to Sh228 billion this year. The Government will see to it that more funds are also allocated next year,” he said. “We agree that there is need to have more funding, but it cannot be done through a referendum.”

He asked governors to tone down the drive for the vote, which he dismissed as a ploy by the Opposition to derail the Jubilee government’s efforts to serve Kenyans.

Prof Kindiki and his Elgeyo Marakwet counterpart, Mr Kipchumba Murkomen, said the referendum was unlikely to succeed.

On Saturday, Isiolo Governor Godana Doyo said wananchi in the county were opposed to the referendum.

At the same meeting, Senator Murkomen said Jubilee leaders should work to fulfil promises made to Kenyans ahead of the 2013 elections and stop the push for a referendum.

“Nowhere is it written in our manifesto that we will have a referendum before the next election. Our promise in the manifesto is to build roads, provide water and health to Kenyans,” Mr Murkomen said.

Additional reporting by Lucas Barasa