Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o has proposed change of government from the current presidential to parliamentary system to avoid recurrent election violence.
The governor said the country should not to mix issues of the structure of devolution with the important choice between a parliamentary and presidential system.
He said that the country should instead put a premium on achieving a parliamentary system of government.
“We should not introduce two weighty issues in the referendum, which I suppose will follow from the Building Bridges Initiative’s current work," he said.
The governor spoke while submitting his views to the BBI task force in Kisumu.
Nyong’o said a parliamentary system of government would provide a better political environment for economic development.
He said that former African colonies started off after independence with parliamentary systems but then went presidential almost within the first year of their independence.
They all soon sank into authoritarian regimes best known for political oppression, shameful denial of human rights, corruption that benefited few elites and political instability, very often punctuated by military rule.
He said a parliamentary system would improve political stability because elections under parliamentary systems of government are not cutthroat affairs.
The governor said investors and the business community tend "to wait and see" any time elections are just about to be held in presidential authoritarian regimes.
Nyong’o noted that a parliamentary system would best serve the country if blended with proportional representation and stronger segmental autonomy (strengthened devolution).
“I am sure there are very good views already shared with this team on the two issues of proportional representation and stronger devolution, including proposals for the reduction of the number of counties and introduction of regional governments," he said.
The task force vice chair Adams Oloo said Kisumu was the 35th county the task force has visited.
Oloo stated that those who had not managed to give their views to the task force should send the same by email.
“Ours is to listen to the views of the people which we shall collect, analyze and later write a report with recommendation and present them," he said.
The task force met stakeholders from the seven subcounty of Kisumu with representatives of the youth, women and persons with disability.
