Churches push for referendum, oppose car grants and development funds for MCAs

Ufungamano-Joint forum of Religious Organisations co-chair Rashmin Chitnis (left) flanked by vice secretary Willy Mutiso during a press briefing on Thursday. [Willis Awandu/Standard]

Churches in Kenya have joined the push for a referendum to overhaul the structure of Government by reducing the number of elected and nominated leaders.

Yesterday, the Ufungamano-Joint Forum of Religious Organisations (U-JFRO) said they would "immediately" kick off the process of collecting signatures from Kenyans to call for the amendments.

According to the clergy, if the referendum goes through, it will reduce the number of county governments from the 47 to 16 economic blocs, with the current counties forming sub-counties.

The proposed changes will also see fewer Members of Parliament from the current 347 to 225.

The churches represented by their officials included Friends' Church, Methodist Church of Kenya, United Church of Christ and Baptist.

Rashmin Chitnis, the chairman of U-JFRO, said several other churches, although not present at the briefing, had committed to support the cause.

The church leaders opposed the recent demand by MCAs to have ward development kitty similar to that of the members of the national assembly as well as car grants.

U-JFRO secretary Willy Mutiso lamented that the trend in the political setting was worrying and prophesied the hard economic times ahead saying Kenyans should arise and fight for order.