- Savula said that proposal to reduce representation was timely since some representation areas were not economically viable.
- But Kakamega county Jubilee co-ordinator Raphael Wellimo said the proposal may present a fresh headache on merging of constituencies and counties.
Image: HILTON OTENYO
Lugari MP Ayub Savula has said input to the Building Bridges Initiative task force on constitutional amendments was welcome.
He faulted the team, however, for being too expensive as it travels around the country with paid staff to collect views and said it doesn't appear to have come up with anything new — just the old Bomas draft Constitution.
It will soon retreat to decide on its final recommendations and write its report.
The committee was put in place by President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga. It was tasked with coming up with recommendations to end the vicious ethnic tensions and fighting that characterise elections in Kenya
“The recommendations are a replica of the Bomas Draft and there was no need to spend millions on sittings only to give us what is in the former draft. They should just have fished out the old document and given to Kenyans without further expenditure,” Savula told the Star on the phone on Monday.
The preliminary BBI report proposes a Cabinet appointed from among MPs, not totalling more than 20 ministers. It also proposes two deputy prime ministers, reintroduces deputy ministers, raises allocations to counties to 45 per cent and recommends a reduction of the number of MPs to 209 from 416.
Yesterday, Savula said that proposal to reduce representation was timely since some representation areas were not economically viable.
“I know that Vihiga will be merged with Kakamega and Bungoma with Busia in the case of Western,” he said.
The team also proposes a single seven-year term presidency, a powerful prime minister and introduction of 14 regional governments, among constitutional amendments.
The challenge will be how Kenyans will respond to suggestions to do away with their areas of representation through the constitutional amendments in a referendum.Kakamega Jubilee coordinator Raphael Wellimo
It wants the president to be elected by a three-tiered Electoral College through a secret ballot or elected by direct adult suffrage through a secret ballot. This would take place on the Tuesday immediately preceding the 21 days before the expiry of the president's term. He would serve one, nonrenewable seven-year term.
The President would be the head of state and commander-in-chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, the preliminary report reads.
Savula said an expanded executive with a president, prime minister, deputy president and two deputy prime ministers will help to end ethnic tensions after elections by accommodating more community interests.
But Kakamega county Jubilee coordinator Raphael Wellimo said that the proposal may present a problem merging of constituencies and counties.
“The challenge will be how Kenyans will respond to suggestions to do away with their areas of representation through the constitutional amendments in a referendum,” he said.
(Edited by V. Graham)