Cracks over timing of referendum as Ruto allies scheme to upstage rivals

Deputy President William Ruto and Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia joins Sylivia Wambui for a dance during the opening of Kinangop Technical and Vocational College.

A political clash looms between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy President William Ruto over the anticipated constitutional referendum.

With NASA leader Raila Odinga in the picture, no one is sitting pretty as the push for the plebiscite gathers momentum.

As Kenyatta and Raila look to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) to push the drive to the periphery of the President’s term, Ruto is desiring a mid-term plebiscite to secure his position ahead of the succession election in 2022.

The timing of the referendum reportedly triggered Ruto to join the debate.

Also the clamour for the constitutional referendum is sending shivers in Ruto’s camps following revelations that President Kenyatta could “bounce” back in a new political arrangement.

Afraid of getting it wrong on timing as well as proposed amendments, the DP’s allies have coalesced into a think-tank to create a safe operating environment for him. Aldai MP Cornelly Serem, who is in the political wing of the think-tank told the Sunday Standard that they will start meeting next week to look at the referendum debate from all angles.

After last week’s pronouncement by Ruto that he will support the referendum, his allies rallied behind him but took an about-turn after he slammed brakes on the debate in Kakamega on Friday.

“We will start meeting next week as like-minded leaders and start critiquing the 2010 Constitution, we want to ensure the deliberations make to the final resolutions that will form questions in the referendum if it comes to pass,” said Serem.

According to Serem, the group will include some MPs, senators and selected leaders and technocrats from different fields based on their competencies. “We want to ensure only pro-people laws are passed, wage bill brought by over representations will be one of our main focus,” he said.

He added: “We are also looking at suggesting an age limit of 70 for presidential candidates and a rotational presidency among other radical measures.”

Among the fears Ruto’s side have is the Raila factor in the referendum. They are afraid the unity pact between the NASA leader and the President could disfranchise the DP. Ruto has publicly claimed that Raila wants to kick him out of the Jubilee succession equation.

Pursue the seat

“Once the Executive is expanded and which was the initial concept we had at the time of independence, you can still have Kenyatta as an executive prime minister, or a ceremonial president,” said political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi in an interview with the Sunday Standard.

After the handshake between Kenyatta and and Raila on March 9th, the BBI was tasked to look into the nine point agreement between the two leaders. The BBI team was given a year’s mandate and is expected to present a report that according to Raila will form the basis of a referendum.

Senate Justice and legal affairs committee chair and Nandi Senator Kiprotich Cherargei said they have picked all the drafts and will start going through them.

“We have the Kilifi, Bomas, Naivasha (Wako) draft, the current and old Constitution which they will use as reference points as they work on their positions,” said Mr Cherargei.

Kipkelion East MP Hillary Kosgei said this will help them check the constitutional amendments to ensure they do not affect the Jubilee Party’s agenda. “We want to dispense with the referendum early enough so that we can continue with our normal day to day life, we do not want it to hold us at ransom for long, that is why we have moved fast and have a committee to dissect the 2010 document,” said Mr Kosgei.

The legal team Serem said will be up and running before the end of next week.

“We want to be done before end of the year and have our report ready, we also want to encourage the country to be ready and finish with the changes to the Constitution early enough so that we can continue with the Big Four Agenda,” he said.

The push for an early referendum by Ruto allies contradict the position of those in the president’s circle who feel this should come later towards 2022 when he will be about to retire.

Kenyatta’s allies intimated that he is not utterly opposed to the plebiscite.

“If the referendum is to come, let it be at the tail end of the President’s term so that he can fully implement the Big Four smoothly, without the rigours of politics,” said Jubilee Vice Chair David Murathe in an earlier interview.

Pundits believe the push to amend the 2010 Constitution could the President an opportunity to run the executive especially if the structure of government changes.

The creation of the prime minister’s position with two deputies is at the heart of five proposals that have been send to the National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi.

Ngunyi who is now among the strong proponents of the premier’s position argues that introduction of the Parliamentary system of governance or a hybrid system could lower the political temperatures unlike the presidential system that provides for a winner takes it all.

On board

“We need to create a matatu presidency where more people are in leadership and not a ferari one where is is an exclusive of one person, we will by so doing brought everybody on board and healed the country,” he said.

A senior jubilee politician who sought anonymity said Kenyatta is still young and with the creation of the premier position, they would rally him to pursue the seat.

The possibility of the president making a political comeback after his second and final term ends in August 2022 became public debate after Central Organisation of Trade Unions boss Francis Atwoli said he (Kenyata) was still young.

During the Labour Day celebrations on May, Mr Atwoli suggested that there was need to expand the executive to accommodate Kenyatta given that he will still be young and could not just be allowed to retire that early in life.

“Where do you expect Kenyatta to go if we do not amend the Constitution? He is a young man, we must amend it and fix him somewhere,” he said.