• Embu chambers chairman says the initiative is political and not of economic benefit.
• Mbeere North MP says Aukot should have pushed for changes in the past referendum as he was part of .
Image: Reuben Githinji
Embu Senator Njeru Ndwiga has clashed with local parliamentarians and traders opposing the Punguza Mizigo initiative.
Ndwiga, who is in support of the initiative, has received support from former gubernatorial aspirant Kithinji Kiragu, former Senate seat aspirant Munyi Mundigi and Gaturi North MCA Paul Muchangi.
He has, however, disputed with Mbeere North legislator Muriuki Njagagua Mbeere South’s Geoffery Kingangi and Chambers of Commerce chairman John Mate.
Speaking to the Star at Izaak Walton Inn in Embu town on Monday, the senator said he supported the proposals by Thirdway Alliance party leader Ekuru Aukot, arguing that they are focusing on the welfare of the common man.
He said he is in support of the proposal because it calls for strengthening allocations to the counties and empowering the Senate.
“I believe MCAs will also support it because it focuses on the wards that are the smallest units of administration where the common man lives,” Ndwiga said.
Kiragu said the proposal shows the direction in which most people would like the country to follow.
“The issue of relieving the burden on the people is agreed by everybody because we brought the burden to ourselves by supporting a bloated Parliament," the former aspirant said.
Mundigi wants all county assemblies to remain the way they are "for better representation as the initiative is proposing".
He said he would go for the removal of nominated senators, MPs and MCAs, arguing that they overburden the taxpayer.
Muchangi said he is against a single-term president. He said two terms will allow him or her to have enough time to deliver to the people.
However, Njagagua argued that Aukot was in the committee of experts that oversaw the constitutional amendments. He asked why Aukot did not come up with the recommendations at the time.
“Much of our current Constitution was crafted by activism and it’s the same activism that is being portrayed by Aukot and his party,” the Mbeere North MP said.
With the impending census and the hunger facing the country, he said, there isn’t enough money for a referendum.
Kingangi opposed the proposal "because it is greatly looking into politics and not the economic side."
Mate said he saw the proposal as a political gimmick. Reduction of MPs will create under-representation of the people in Parliament and this will be detrimental, the trade chambers chairman said.
The Thirdway Alliance party proposal for a referendum has been approved by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
In the proposed changes is the reduction of the members of the National Assembly. The party wants the total number of MPs reduced to 147 from 416.
Aukot and his team want the position of the woman representatives to be abolished “to cut the cost of running Parliament to Sh5 billion annually, down from the current Sh36.8 billion”.
They also want the deputy governors’ position scrapped.
They also seek to increase the equitable shareable revenue of counties from 15 to 35 per cent of the last audited accounts approved by Parliament.
If the party gets its way, the country could also see the President allowed to run for a single term of a maximum of seven years.
Aukot’s party further wants the Senate to become an Upper House of Parliament with veto powers over the decisions made by the National Assembly.
Edited by R.Wamochie