Heated debate as Supreme Law turns 4
Cord leaders where they launched the Opposition’s collection of five million signatures for a referendum on the Constitution. The Cord leadership Thursday declared that it would defeat President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government to block the referendum to increase allocation of money to counties. FILE PHOTO |
What you need to know:
- Mr Nzamba Kitonga, the former chairman of the Committee of Experts, has urged politicians to defer the clamour for amendment.
- Mr Kitonga blamed amendments that were introduced to the Draft Constitution by MPs in Naivasha as the reason for the desire for the changes.
Kenya on Wednesday marks four years since the Constitution was promulgated, but a heated debate is ongoing on whether the Supreme Law should be amended.
The Opposition and governors are leading separate campaigns for a referendum to change parts of the Constitution, while the Jubilee Government is firmly opposed to the call.
Mr Nzamba Kitonga, the former chairman of the Committee of Experts that drafted the Constitution, has urged politicians to defer the clamour for amendment.
“We should not be talking about amending the Constitution now. We should finish implementation first, which ends next August, so that we can get its overall picture and how it affects us,” he said.
Mr Kitonga blamed amendments that were introduced to the Draft Constitution by MPs in Naivasha as the reason for the desire for the changes.
He cited the introduction of the presidential system of government and the weakening of the roles of the Senate.
“These are some of the things that people are talking about,” he said in a telephone interview with the Nation. “We will need a round table conference to talk about them because they were actually not there in the draft.”
OKOA KENYA
As he spoke, politicians in different regions voiced their opinion on the Opposition’s referendum campaign — Okoa Kenya.
In Kitale Town, more than 2,000 voters appended signatures in support of the Cord initiative, three days after Opposition co-principal Moses Wetang’ula launched it in the region.
Ford-Kenya Organising Secretary Ken Wafula said they would take the drive to the grassroots to ensure they get 100,000 signatures in the entire Trans Nzoia County.
Mr Wafula said the party’s machinery targeted to collect 70,000 signatures from the 20 wards outside the town, while the five wards in the town would be required to produce 30,000 signatures.
However, Sabaot elders said the community would not be party to what they consider a scheme to destabilise the Jubilee Government.
RATIONALE QUESTIONED
At the Coast, three ODM lawmakers have asked their supporters not to append signatures for referendum until they are told the issues that require a vote.
Kilifi North MP Gideon Mung’aro, Kilifi South MP Mustafa Idd and Woman Representative Aisha Jumwa questioned the rationale of referendum, saying Kenyans only wanted development.
Mr Mung’aro, the Coast Parliamentary Group Chairman, said Cord was silent on the questions that would be presented.
On the governors call, Bumula MP Boniface Otsiula said it was not justified. He argued that the county bosses were unable to account for the billions that they were allocated during the last financial year, hence they should not ask for more.
In Isiolo, Governor Godana Doyo and Isiolo North MP Joseph Samal told the Opposition to stop “misleading” Kenyans.
Mr Samal said the last ODM party elections failed due to poor leadership and that Cord leaders only wanted a referendum to test their popularity before the next General Elections.
But in Migori County, Governor Okoth Obado supported the campaign, saying the 47 counties needed more money from the National Government to speed up growth.
Reports by Bernard Namunane, Mwakera Mwajefa, Kazungu Samuel, Erick Ngobilo, Elisha Otieno, Philip Bwayo, Dennis Lubanga, Copperfield Lagat, Timothy Kemei and KNA
