More governors reject push for referendum

More Jubilee-allied governors, this time from URP, have abandoned the quest for the referendum apparently bowing to pressure from the ruling coalition.

Seven United Republican Party (URP) county chiefs accompanied by their Kanu, New Ford Kenya and PDP colleagues reportedly met Deputy President William Ruto on Wednesday evening.

The Standard has established that governors Ali Roba (Mandera), Jackson Mandago (Uasin gishu), Alex Tolgos (Elgeyo/Marakwet), Benjamin Cheboi (Baringo), Moses Lenolkulal (Samburu), Ken Lusaka (Bungoma), Okoth Obado (Migori), Samuel Tunai (Narok) and Simon Kitalei (West Pokot) resolved to bolt out of the referendum crusade after the meeting with Ruto in Karen.

Their decision came hours after nine governors allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta's The National Alliance party (TNA) publicly declared they were withdrawing from the push for a plebiscite.

Asked whether he supported the campaigns for a referendum, Tunai replied: "I haven't been party to the referendum push. I don't support the referendum bid."

Roba and Lusaka also confirmed to The Standard that they have backed down on their push for a referendum. But some failed to answer their calls or respond to the short text messages on the same.

A senior URP official told us that the DP had prevailed upon the county bosses to drop the referendum push and instead engage the Government in addressing the pertinent issues raised.

"The governors agreed to retreat to their respective counties and make known their position," he said.

Mr Roba said the country is polarised because of the direction the push to amend the Constitution is taking.

"It is not proper to continue with this referendum. It will create an avenue for political parties to get at each other. We are also pitting parties against each other and it is not good," said Roba.

He added: "I have decided that we should engage the Government through consultations to address the outstanding issues. The President and DP are willing and ready to dialogue."

The Mandera governor, who however denied attending the Karen meeting, stressed that he had not been pressurised to pull out of the referendum agenda, saying that after careful consultations with his county leadership, he decided to quit.

"We are not going to give others political mileage. Ours was issue-based but as things stand at the national level, it is not proper. Our agenda is not a political cause for political party groupings. We have to look at the bigger picture, we cannot have two referendums," he said.

He urged his colleagues to abandon the referendum crusade. Mr Lusaka argued that there is total confusion in regards to the push for a national vote to change the Constitution, drifting away from the devolution issues raised.

"We are losing focus. The referendum timing is not right. It is my personal conviction that we bolt out of the exercise," he said.

But Council of Governors Chairman Isaac Ruto is unmoved by the pull-out and scoffed at the latest developments, saying that as much as he will respect the decision of individual governors, this will not cripple their cause.

He said when they launched the referendum push, they expected some governors to "drop out along the way and not sustain the process to the end".

"There are certain things that we cannot avoid. The referendum is a matter for all Kenyans. We will soldier on until it matures," he said.

The Bomet governor said they will not put on hold the push for a referendum just because some governors have opted out.

"At the end of the day, the people will agree with us that there are pertinent issues that should be resolved and if it is not done, it will cause tension," he warned.

Ruto said Jubilee has to change its leadership style and resolve the issues raised to satisfy governors.

"We are not going to succumb to the culture of fear, harassment, blackmail and intimidation," he charged.

He said they will not continue pretending that things are okay.

"As URP leaders, we are still pushing on with the referendum. No governor has declared otherwise. URP governors especially from Rift Valley are pushing on," he said.

He cautioned the Government against intimidating county assembly speakers through blackmail to pull the assembly members from the push for a national vote.

"We are doing this in the interest of Kenyans and devolution," he said.

Senator Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo/Marakwet) told off the governors on their referendum agenda, saying they lack the capacity and political muscle to sustain a political exercise of such magnitude. CoG Head of Communications Barrack Muluka said the council respects everybody's democratic right.