THE CORD'S PUSH FOR REFERENDUM IS UNDERWAY

From (left) Cord Co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka, Bungoma senator Moses Wetangula, Cord Co-principal Raila Odinga, Siaya senator James Orengo and Suna Mp Mohamed Junet during press briefings at Orange House, Nairobi.

( NOTE: THIS POST WAS WRITTEN IN 23TH JULY, 2014)

THE CORD'S PUSH FOR REFERENDUM IS UNDERWAY

The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) has unveiled a committee of experts to spearhead referendum to amend the constitution.
The Cord leaders yesterday appointed Paul Mwangi to chair the committee whose other members include Kethi Kilonzo, Khelef Khalifa and Beatrice Kituyi. These committee members will be expected to draft referendum question or questions before the coalition appoint volunteers around the country to collect one million signatures required to ignite the process of amending the constitution via a referendum.
The Cord coalition wants the government address three key issues they highlighted as being a threat to the country. The tree “critical” issues include disbandment of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the security to be devolved to the county level and county allocation be increased from the current 15% to 40%.
Speaking yesterday 9p.m at the Big Question Show at Citizen Television, Boni Khalwale who is affiliated to Cord coalition said referendum is a nice thing and Kenyans should embrace it.
His counterpart in the senate, who was also present in the show, Kipchumba Murkomen said the referendum is a complicate process since to carry out a referendum one needs IEBC and to disband IEBC one needs a referendum. He said he would suggest that referendum since is prohibitive it should wait until 2017 elections so that it can be introduced as ballot number seven to reduce the cost. He further added that the Cord coalition leaders should leave out the three key issues they have highlighted if they need the Senate to support them.
“I appeal to the Cord coalition to drop the issue of IEBC, security and devolution and I am sure we shall hear their grievances in the senate,” he said.
Kakamega senator further confirmed that the Okoa Kenya secretariat has been established and it has received 15 issues from the Civil Societies and other issues from the Council of Governors.
“There is a secretariat called Okoa Kenya we have formed and it has currently received 15 issues which the Civil Societies want to be addressed by the national government and furthermore, the Council of Governors has also present some issues to the same secretariat,” he said.
He also said referendum is not for Cord. He reiterated that it is a national agenda.
Elkeyo Marakwet senator accused the Cord coalition for being mean in ideas and he said, it is utilizing those ideas to gain confidence from the people.
“Cord coalition does not share the ideas it has with the government and it is just using them to gain support from the masses,” he said.
The security is also an issue which ignited a heated debate in the show with Kipchumba Murkomen emphasizing that the security is not an issue which can divide the country instead it brings people of one particular country together.
“The security is not something which can separate us as a nation. In fact security in any nation in the world normally brings the persons concern together,” he said.
Dr. Khalwale confirmed that their agitation to have security be devolved does not mean the county governments will employ their police officers. He said the national government will continue hiring security personnel and the governors in the county level will only play affirmative action. He also said the National Security Intelligent Service (NSIS) experts will also operate at the county level with the governors being their supervisors.
“The quest for security be devolved does not give a mandate to governors to employ their security officers and NSIS personnel. The national government shall continue to do that and the governors will just be the coordinators,” he said.
“The government is wasting taxpayer’s money carrying out Nyumba Kumi initiative instead of using institutions available to address the issue of insecurity,” Khalwale said.
He further said the old structures of dealing with insecurity are not working and the government should devolve it.
Elkeyo Marakwet senator feared that tribalism will be a stumbling block to the security if it is devolved. He added that security is about trust.
“Tribalism will be a threat to security if the governors are allowed to be in charge. If there are two warring communities within the county and the governor deploys security to one particular community then the other community will lack the trust in the governor,” he reiterated.
Senator Kipchumba said referendum should have support from the members of parliament. He added that the august house may not support it since majority of its members are from Jubilee coalition who is anti-referendum, but Kakamega senator said parliament played an important role in coming up with the current constitution and it should respect the “voice of the masses”.