Siaya Senator James Orengo and Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo have urged Kenyans to reject Punguza Mizigo Bill sponsored by the Thirdway Alliance party.
They told Kenyans to instead wait for proposals by the Building Bridges Initiative report.
The ODM lawmakers said the referendum question in the Ekuru Aukot’s Bill has not gone through public participation.
They spoke at a funeral in Awelo in Alego Usonga constituency on Saturday.
Orengo said the 14-member team constituted after March 9, 2018 by President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga will best inform Kenyans on the way forward to amend the Constitution.
He said unlike Aukot Bill the BBI engaged the public on issues impeding the country’s quest for unity, particularly recurring ethnic divisions during national elections.
The leaders spoke at Awelo in Alego Usonga during the burial of John Ochieng Wanyama.
Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi and his Ugenya counterpart David Ochieng were present.
Orengo said the initiators of the referendum Bill did not undertake adequate public participation. He called on Kenyans to ignore politicians who thrive on division, hatred and confusion.
He said BBI was the best for the country and those opposed to it were only pushing for their selfish interest.
“The handshake is unstoppable and we are committed to uniting Kenyans. This country belongs to all of us and there’s a need to work together to spur the country’s economy,” he said.
Otiende told county assemblies to vote against the Aukot Bill as it does not protect devolution. He called on MCAs to wait for the BBI final report.
Atandi dismissed the referendum bid by Thirdway Alliance as opportunistic. Otiende and Atandi praised Siaya MCAs for rejecting the Bill. “That Bill must be rejected in totality. Let us wait for the BBI report,” Atandi said.
The Bill was forwarded to county assemblies by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission after the poll agency verified 1.2 million signatures of registered voters.
It seeks to reduce the number of national lawmakers from the current 416 to 147 and localize development to the wards with the existing 1,450 units currently being represented by MCAs being used as the primary centres of development.
