Ruto allies scheme against referendum

Deputy President William Ruto’s allies have now hatched a fresh plot to frustrate any efforts by President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga to have the country hold a referendum before the 2022 General Election.

In his 57th Madaraka Day address at State House, Nairobi, attended by Mr Odinga and Mr Ruto, the Head of State made the clearest indication of the constitutional changes noting that it would re-imagine Kenya.

“…in 2010, we formulated and adopted a new constitution, altogether replacing the independence constitution. Ten years later, I am already discerning a constitutional moment. Not a moment to replace the 2010 Constitution but one to improve on it,” President Kenyatta said.

REFERENDUM BUDGET

Already, Senate Majority Chief Whip Irungu Kang’ata has confirmed that the referendum budget will be provided for in the next two weeks.

“Yes, a referendum will happen. The budget set to be unveiled will set aside money for that,” he said.

But Mr Ruto’s allies, who have vehemently opposed plans to hold the plebiscite before the 2022 election, have now hatched a scheme to fight it through support to the Referendum Bill, 2020, by Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni, who chairs the National Assembly’s Constitutional Implementation and Oversight Committee (CIOC).

The Bill proposes a referendum be conducted together with the 2022 election which the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) proponents have vehemently opposed, arguing that the changes to foster inclusivity must be enshrined in the Constitution as the country heads to the next polls.

BECOMING BRAVE

But the DP’s troops, who are becoming brave day by day in opposing the President’s agenda despite being in government, have now come out openly to declare their resolve to oppose any attempts to force a referendum before elections, but which BBI proponents say would even be conducted before end of this year.

The DP’s cronies are now threatening to shoot down budget estimates which will have factored in plebiscite funds arguing that a constitutional change is not important at the moment.

Jubilee deputy secretary-general and Soy MP Caleb Kositany said they will not approve any money set aside for a referendum before the General Election.

“Those dreaming that we must have a referendum this year should just forget, we will not approve that budget. The budget must address how we are going to recover the economy. We cannot be going through Covid-19 then we come again and say that we are going for a referendum, we must be sensible,” said Mr Kositany.

Belgut MP Nelson Koech told the Nation that even though they intend to support the President until he completes his term, they will not allow any budget catering for a Plebiscite before the next election.

"I want to warn Executive that in passing the budget, we will not hesitate to strike out provisions for things that add no value to the ordinary man especially during this pandemic," said the Belgut MP.

RESPECT CONSTITUTION

"We will unleash our numbers more particularly on what we do not agree with or subscribe to...President has taken us for granted for long," disclosed Keiyo South MP Daniel Rono.

Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi claimed that the country should hold a referendum which will solve the problems facing citizens rather than “dynasties creating positions for themselves.”

"I even wonder why we should be calling for referendum when we have even failed to respect the current Constitution. Some are no longer respecting court orders, now we are changing the constitution for what?" posed the Kapseret MP adding that the scheme is to block DP Ruto from succeeding President Kenyatta.

He however admitted that as lieutenants of DP Ruto, they do not have any problem with BBI but only concerned by the motive of pushing it.

"The issue here is all about President looking for ways to remain in power, he has been using Raphael Tuju and David Murathe to frustrate and undermine Dr Ruto but now he has come out openly and pushing for alliances which will enable him stay. Honestly, DP has never wronged his boss in anyway," added Mr Sudi.

But Nyeri Town MP Wambugu Ngunjiri said the President and Mr Odinga are focused on “a more permanent solution to the problems that ail Kenya; especially the political instability around elections.”

He said their call for a referendum is therefore to achieve this end especially to ensure that elections stop being a do-or-die, with violence as an option.

SECURING THE PRESIDENCY

The DP’s brigade, he noted, were only focused on an immediate temporary issue which is 2022 politics.

“They are unable to see beyond this, to anything else,” he said.

Firebrand Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter said that even if the DP’s allies were hell-bent on securing the Presidency for him at the expense of fighting for inclusivity which the referendum aims to achieve, “they must know the holder of that seat must be a symbol of national unity.”

“Presidency is a symbol of national unity. He (Ruto) should bring everybody on board like the way Raila is doing now and not to fight everybody and anything,” Mr Keter said.

Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny said the quest for a referendum before 2022 is inevitable even if the DP’s allies think it is aimed at stopping his bid for the top seat.

“There is no way referendum will stop Ruto because it doesn’t have anybody’s name. We are talking of a Bill that is going to enhance cohesion, respect to the rule of law and stop people from engaging in corruption,” he said.

The MP pointed out that the problem is that “we are dealing with people who have run short of ideas that is why they are introducing Ruto’s name. They don’t have any numbers to frustrate any government agenda and this has been proven.”

CREATE FACTIONS

Mr Koech, the Belgut MP however, insists that the referendum is simply a plot to create factions that will go to 2022 which he argues is unfortunate because a well-meaning referendum builds consensus first.

With a flailing economy and a fractious ruling party to boot, the President has hinged his legacy on uniting the country, and the roadmap to this is through the BBI.

For Kimili MP Didmus Barasa, the looming formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU) is championed by Mr Odinga and would see President Uhuru Kenyatta remain in power after 2022.

"The formation of GNU is an idea by the President and Raila so that the President cling to power with a different title owing to the pronouncement by Mr Odinga's lieutenants that Mr Kenyatta is too young to retire and that is why their push for referendum to be held before 2022 is not driven by peoples' agenda but their own to expand the Executive," said Mr Barasa.

But Mr Kuttuny, the Cherangany legislator insisted that when normalcy returns, they would like the county assemblies to fast track BBI debating to allow the country have a Plebiscite by March 2021.

"For now we are just waiting for normalcy then our county assemblies to start debating the report. We are expecting referendum around March 2021," said the Cherang'any MP.

Mr Kutuny added that the purge on errant Jubilee Party members was meant to give the Head of State ample time to focus on referendum after the country comes of the virus crisis.