CORD plans retreat on change of Constitution

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Kakamega last week when he announced that CORD will push for referendum.  [PHOTO: FILE/STANDARD]

By GEOFFREY MOSOKU

KENYA: CORD is planning a retreat to lobby MPs as part of a wider strategy to rally support for the constitutional amendment on devolution.

Members of the National Assembly have been reluctant to commit to the issue and CORD wants to persuade them that the referendum campaign is not intended to empower governors at their expense.

This emerged as the governors’ caucus and the opposition dismissed the ruling coalition’s two-step strategy to block the constitutional amendment.

CORD is working to win over MPs while rolling out nationwide rallies with meetings in Kisii, Kakamega and Samburu scheduled this week to shore up support.

Deputy President William Ruto’s URP said the coalition would ensure the campaign did not secure the support of majority of the county assemblies (24) needed to propel the crusade to a referendum vote.

Should this fail, URP has said the ruling coalition would lobby supporters to boycott the vote to deny the vote minimum 40 per cent of registered voters for legitimacy. But CORD countered it controlled 24 out of the 47 counties and that the referendum call is popular even among the Jubilee controlled counties.

Homabay Senator Otieno Kajwang said that while the 40 percent threshold was an internationally acclaimed requirement it had no basis in Kenyan laws.

“The so called 40 per cent internationally acclaimed threshold to legitimise a referendum vote is not written anywhere be it the constitution or referendum law. There is no such provision in Kenya. That is only in some countries like Norway and I want to tell Jubilee even if only 10 people vote, the results of that referendum will be legit.”

Hypocrite

CORD Senate minority deputy chief whip Janet Ong’era claimed some Jubilee Senators were secretly egging them on with the campaign.

“The call for a referendum arises from genuine desire to entrench the required monies for counties. This is not a call by CORD but all leaders except some Jubilee Senators who are hypocrites who say they are opposed to the referendum during the day and at night call us to urge us to move on,” she said.

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale (UDF) said the push for a constitutional amendment would secure the support “of not less than 30 county assemblies”.

Khalwale said it was in the interest of President Kenyatta’s administration to avoid a referendum that sets it against an opposition led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga seeking political mileage.

“Uhuru and Ruto should take advantage of the resistance against the issues introduced by Raila’s group and embrace the clamour for more resources. Then they ensure the constitutional amendment Bill secures the support of both Houses. That way there would be no need of a referendum,” he explained.

Khalwale argued Uhuru and Ruto would be mistaken to think they could ignite the euphoria that swept them to power because “during the referendum campaign Governors and Senators will ensure the ICC will not be a factor”.

Chairman of the Governors Council Isaac Ruto also asked Jubilee to avoid the embarrassment at the vote. “The Jubilee government will face a question of legitimacy if they accept to be humiliated at the referendum,” Ruto said.

Yesterday a meeting called by URP purportedly to tame the Bomet Governor nearly flopped after majority of leaders from the county stayed away.

Out of the 35 Members of County Assembly, only 15 attended the meeting held at the URP headquarters in Nairobi, as a follow up to another the previous day.

Differ publicly

The Deputy President’s office disowned the meeting wary of it being interpreted as a showdown with the Bomet Governor with whom they have differed publicly on the referendum calls.

“We have 24 counties controlled by Cord and several Jubilee counties are supporting this referendum, majority of Senators too. But as a coalition we do not want to leave anyone behind and thus we are planning a retreat for the National Assembly members,” ODM executive director Magerer Langat said yesterday.

Magerer said at the retreat, whose dates and venue are yet to be confirmed, coalition leaders will explain to the MPs the noble cause for the referendum and assuage fears governors would fight them. “Once the MPs are on our side, we shall intensify the national rallies and I can tell you that the referendum subject is very popular among the people,” he added.

Even MPs allied to CORD have steered away from the referendum push wary about a strengthened Senate and governors.

Mobilise supporters

Ong’era said the coalition was not worried about Jubilee’s threat to lobby county assemblies to reject the bill or mobilise supporters to boycott the plebiscite.

Ong’era said the pro-referendum forces will not only gather the requisite signatures, but will have majority of the counties.

“We have raised more than the required signatures and we are determined to push through this vote to enable the Senate to have power to determine the allocation of resources to the counties. This apparently is very popular with the people,” she added.

“Jubilee has been saying loudly that there is no need for a referendum and now want to sabotage it. Jubilee has no capacity to stop the referendum since CORD has 24 counties,” Kajwang said.