MCAs may push parallel referendum

Members of county assemblies from 47county assemblies in the country react during county assembly forum at Bomas of Kenya on August 23, 2014. They have on Saturday resolved to form a 15 - member technical committee to look into the issues of devolution. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE

What you need to know:

  • 47 committee members will nominate 15 members to make up  technical committee who  will report in a month's time to the county assemblies forum chaired by Dr. Abdi Noor.
  • There was a talk of MCAS sponsoring their own referendum parallel to that called for by Cord in a drive dubbed Okoa Kenya.

Members of County Assembly MCAs meeting at the Bomas of Kenya, have on Saturday resolved to form a technical committee to look into devolution issues.

The committee will have 47 members with one representative from each county and will start meeting this Wednesday.

Further, the committee members will nominate 15 members from amongst them to make up a technical committee. This committee will present their findings in a report to the county assemblies forum chaired by Dr. Abdi Noor in a months' time.

There was a talk of MCAs sponsoring their own referendum parallel to that called by Cord in a drive dubbed Okoa Kenya.

Jubilee and Cord representatives differed with members from Cord strongholds pushing for a referendum while those from Jubilee stronghold argued against it.

The Council of Governors and Cord view the support of the assembly representatives as extremely crucial as the draft Bill containing the parts of the Constitution to be amended must be passed by at least 24 out of the 47 county assemblies before it goes to the National Assembly and the Senate.