Okoa Kenya sets date for leadership meeting

By  NATION REPORTER

What you need to know:

  • Public participation assemblies to be held in all parts of the country in future.
  • Okoa Kenya aiming to collect one million signatures in referendum drive.

The Okoa Kenya Movement will on Thursday launch the public participation phase of its campaign for a referendum.

A general assembly of all governors, senators, MPs and MCAs who support the referendum drive will be convened at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi on September 25, 2014, according to a statement signed by Committee of Experts chairman Paul Mwangi that was sent to newsrooms on Sunday.

"Thereafter, similar public participation assemblies shall be convened in all parts of the country," read the statement.

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An invitation message from the secretariat reads: “Hon Gov/Sen/MP/MCAs… You are invited to a CORD General Assembly… from 8am. The meeting will be presided over by the principals.”

Sources said participants will be taken through the views a team of experts collected from the public on the referendum regarding what to include in the proposed Bill.

“The meeting will basically be used to launch our public participation phase. After the issues have been put on the table, and our leaders have got a picture of where we are, then we shall open it up for debate,” a source told the Nation.

NOTHING WRONG

The meeting, it is understood, will also be used to allay fears that the route the coalition was taking to have the constitution amended was unconstitutional.

“There is nothing wrong with this route,” the source said, adding that amendments may be proposed by a petition signed by at least one million registered voters.

“The signatures and the draft Bill shall then be presented to the IEBC for verification. If satisfied that the signature threshold has been attained, it shall then submit the draft Bill to each county assembly.

Cord principal Raila Odinga, who together with fellow coalition leaders Moses Wetang'ula and Kalonzo Musyoka launched the Okoa Kenya Movement on July 7, has previously dismissed accusations by leaders from the ruling Jubilee coalition that the campaign is aimed at ousting the government.

Mr Odinga, Mr Musyoka and Mr Wetang’ula will attend the launch of public participation phase.

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