Nakuru County Assembly rejects Punguza Mizigo Bill, terms it ‘merely populist’

Naivasha East MCA Stanley Karanja during the debate on Punguza Mzigo Bill at Nakuru County Assembly on October 8, 2019. [Harun Wathari, Standard]

Thirdway Alliance Party Leader Ekuru Aukot has suffered yet another blow after Nakuru County Assembly became the eighth assembly to reject Punguza Mizigo Bill.

It should be noted that Nakuru County Assembly was the first to invite the constitutional lawyer to explain to the members more about the bill that sought to reduce the number of elected leaders.

After the July 24 session, majority of the members in the Jubilee Party dominated assembly assured Aukot of their support for the bill but nearly three months down the line they have changed tunes.

The Justice and Legal Affairs Committee Chairperson Erick Gichuki who tabled the report by the committee on the floor of the house after scrutinizing it said members were not happy with several recommendations made by Auko in the bill.

“Having carefully scrutinised the bill, the committee has taken note that the bill is a populist initiative to win favour of ordinary Kenyans while in reality it offers nothing meaningful in terms of substance and process,” the committee observed.

The Viwandani Ward Representative explained that Mr Aukot had made the bill in a way that no amendments would be made on it yet it was obvious that not all would agree with all its content.

“There are pertinent issued raised on the bill which require to be changed before we can pass it. The manner in which it was drafted, the bill leaves no room for us to make amendments on it which is our role,” said Gichuki.

The proposal to reduce the number of constituencies from the current 290 to 47 and adopting the 47 counties as the electoral units did not go down well with members.

And so was the proposal to limit the presidential term limits to seven years.

Speaker Joel Kairu said members had spoken and that it was the decision of the majority that prevailed.