Proposals to weaken Presidency, create PM post

A weakened presidency and a powerful prime minister post are among radical proposals tabled for consideration should the country change the Constitution.

Interest groups also want MPs, senators and MCAs to serve a maximum two terms, like the president and governors. They also want presidential candidates to run for parliamentary seats.

The proposals were yesterday tabled before the Building Bridges Initiative, a team formed by President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga to end a vicious circle of bloody elections.

Yesterday, Office of the Auditor General and Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) proposed creation of a prime minister post as head of government while reducing the powers of the president substantially.

Auditor General Edward Ouko said the country should also come up with ways of electing the president different from the universal suffrage to end politically-instigated violence.

He said by having a government headed by a prime minister, an appointee of the president as the Head of State would push for accountability in the Executive.

Knut Secretary General Wilson Sossion told the team at Kenyatta International Convention Centre all teachers were in support of the unity pact and proposed amendments to the law to expand the Executive.

Mr Sossion told the session chaired by Adams Oloo the country must review the culture of “winner takes it all” and replace it with “real power sharing”.

And National Chairman of Council of Elders wants counties reduced to a maximum 14, including Coast, Lower Eastern, Nairobi, Lower Central, Upper Central, Upper Rift Valley, Central Rift Valley, Lower Rift Valley, Upper Nyanza, Lower Nyanza, Lower Western and North Eastern.

Media Owners, through chief officer Lynette Mwangi, and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission boss Twalib Mbarak called for law abiding and end to impunity.