Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’ has asked Kenyans to shun the Punguza Mizigo Bill and support the “people-driven” Building Bridges Initiative's proposals.
Kajwang’ said the Thirdway Alliance's initiative was duping Kenyans it wants to strengthen devolution yet it has no concrete plans.
He wondered where Aukot got the 1.2 million signatures delivered to IEBC for verification when he only garnered 10,000 votes as a presidential candidate.
“The BBI process is what will bring to us the right proposals for constitutional reforms since it contains every region's views,” Kajwang’ said.
The PAC chairman said BBI will be the true driver of the referendum saying Aukot should stop diverting people's attention from crucial issues.
“The Aukot Bill wants to scrap off women representative positions, and if it were not for such positions we could have not realised the leadership potentials among our women,” he said.
Kajwang’ spoke on Sunday at a fundraiser for Nyalienga Catholic Parish in Rangwe constituency, Homa Bay county.
Lake Basin Development Authority chairman Odoyo Owidi said the BBI process had collected suggestions from all corners of the country for a constitutional amendment
Owidi hit out at Aukot saying the Punguza Mizigo initiative was “meant to take the wind off the sail of BBI”.
He termed the initiative as too ambitious
“He wants to reduce constituencies from 290 to 47 and expects the MPs who will be rendered jobless to pass the Bill. Kenyans should just forget about it and focus on important matters,” Owidi said.
Owidi said the BBI proposals will ensure equality among different regions, communities, and political affiliations.
The Punguza Mizigo initiative proposes a single seven-year term for the Presidency, a reduction of MPs from 416 to 147, and the abolition nominations for legislators.
Other proposals in the Bill are to make Senate the upper house with veto powers over the National Assembly and an increase of shared revenues with counties from 15 to 35 per cent.
County Assemblies Forum chairman Isaac Wabuge said Kenyans should support the initiative since it aims at increasing resources to the counties.
“I think this is a good window for us to cure the dispute between the National Assembly and the Senate once and for all,” Wabuge told the Weekend Star.
Aukot has however maintained optimism that if the politics is removed from the initiative and focus laced on the issues, the Bill will sail through.
(edited by O. Owino)
