Busia county assembly has drawn up a public participation programme for Punguza Mizigo Bill that was tabled in the assembly on Tuesday.
Legal affairs and human rights committee chairman Gardy Jakaa said the public forums will be held between September 23 and 26 to seek views from the public.
“The Bill can't be amended, but we shall seek the views from the public before we table the report in early October for adoption or rejection by the members,” he said.
Jakaa said venues will be advertised in mainstream media and urged wananchi to turn up in large numbers to give their views.
Speaker Bernard Wamalwa has given the committee an October 3 deadline to present its report. The assembly will give its verdict by October 14.
Thirdway Alliance leader Ekuru Aukot was at the assembly on Wednesday to drum up support for the passage of his Bill.
He denied claims that the Bill is geared towards merging counties and wards and creating a two-term presidency of 14 years.
Aukot said Kenya’s political history has shown that a first-term president wastes one to two years appeasing friends at the expense of fulfilling political promises.
“Again the last two to three years are wasted because the incumbent is focusing on re-election campaigns which are often focused on individuals or a group of political friends,” he said.
He assured the MCAs that counties will remain 47 while wards will also remain intact at 1,450 with prospects of increasing them in future.
But the positions of woman representatives and nominations to Senate and assemblies will be scrapped. Women representation will be on a 50-50 basis, he said.
(edited by O. Owino)
