Storms halt Okoa signature hunt
Strong winds, heavy rains, mud and a water-logged venue first delayed then disrupted the launch of public signature hunt by the Okoa Kenya Movement. PHOTO | AGGREY MUTAMBO
What you need to know:
- CORD believes only Kenyans should decide, and thwarts the idea that the issues can be solved through parliament.
- By 2 pm, there was no politician and even the crowd was still paltry. The tents still had vacant seats.
Strong winds, heavy rains, mud and a water-logged venue first delayed then disrupted the launch of public signature hunt by the Okoa Kenya Movement.
The drive sponsered by the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD), is looking for at least a million approvals from the public to authorise the call for a referendum on a number of issues.
In Nairobi, Cord and a number of civil society groups had organised the start of this campaign at Embakasi Girls Secondary School in Embakasi constituency.
Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and other CORD leaders were to preside over the launch.
People started trickling in on the cold morning and more showed up as the day warmed up. Although the crowd was small, the Kenyans who showed up to sign for the referendum knew well why they were doing so.
KENYANS DECIDE
People who arrived at Embakasi Girls to sign in the Okoa Movement drive for referendum. Strong winds, heavy rains, mud and a water-logged venue first delayed then disrupted the launch of public signature hunt by the Okoa Kenya Movement. PHOTO | AGGREY MUTAMBO
Lining up to append their signatures and give their identification details to the waiting clerks, they showed their solidarity with Cord and its call for a referendum to amend the constitution.
The six issues being fronted by the Okoa Kenya are: electoral reforms, strengthening constitutional commissions, ethnic and gender diversity, land issues and allocation of more money to the counties.
CORD believes only Kenyans should decide, and thwarts the idea that the issues can be solved through parliament.
“We cannot trust groups of people who will say they have tyranny of numbers in parliament. Let them get the tyranny of numbers of Kenyans,” former Vice President and deputy Cord leader told a gathering at the venue.
By 2 pm, there was no politician and even the crowd was still paltry. The tents still had vacant seats.
Mr Musyoka himself arrived at 4pm accompanied by area MP Irshad Sumra and Francis Nyenze, the Minority Leader in the National assembly.
Strong winds, heavy rains, mud and a water-logged venue first delayed then disrupted the launch of public signature hunt by the Okoa Kenya Movement. PHOTO | AGGREY MUTAMBO
By this time though, the winds had begun blowing away the first tent. People rushed into another only for it to be blown away.
They then scampered for shelter into the remaining tents that swayed dangerously loose in the heavy rain forcing most people to leave in their cars.
By 5pm, organisers were carrying away public address system to save it from the rain and mud.
They later returned them for politicians to resume their speeches before the crowd that was at this point drenched through and through.
People try to prop up a tent that had been blown away by the strong winds. Strong winds, heavy rains, mud and a water-logged venue first delayed then disrupted the launch of public signature hunt by the Okoa Kenya Movement. PHOTO | AGGREY MUTAMBO
