• Murkomen says the MCAs have been despised for 'far too long', urging them to endorse Aukot's bill
• IEBC said it will forward the draft bill to county assemblies before October this year.
Image: COURTESY
Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen on Saturday called on MCAs in the country to support lawyer Eukuru Aukot's punguza Mzigo initiative that seeks to amend the constitution and do away with women representative seat among others.
Expressing his support for the bill, Murkomen said the proposed amendment bill affords the legislators at the county level the opportunity to stamp their authority and make their weight felt in the country by overwhelmingly endorsing the bill.
The bill proposes to make county assembly wards the center of development, making MCAs powerful in determining the resource allocation at the grassroots level.
Other proposal from the bill is to have a single 7-year term president besides having voters elect one man and woman from the 47 devolved units to the National Assembly, as well as abolishing nomination to county assemblies and senate.
Further, it also proposes that the senate becomes the upper house with veto powers, besides increasing the revenue allocation to counties to 35 per cent from the current constitutional requirement of 15 per cent.
The bill, which has been billed as one that will reduce the burden on tax payers by reducing the number of MPs, will require endorsement by 24 county assemblies across the country to sail through to senate.
Through his tweeter feed, Murkomen appeared to incite the MCAs to endorse the bill by arguing that they "have been despised for far too long." He did not mention who has despised them.
The leader of majority in the senate also suggested that the bill could have an easy sailing at the senate as a way of strengthening devolution.
"MCAs have the greatest opportunity to stamp their authority by supporting @EAukot ‘s Punguza Mzigo initiative. MCAs have been despised for far too long. They should approve it overwhelmingly to remind all&sundry that devolution&its institutions matter. Forward the baby to Senate," the tweet read.
The IEBC on Thursday okeyed 1.2 million signatures and announced that it will forward the draft bill for consideration by the 47 devolved legislatures before October this year.
The bill is sponsored by Thirdway Alliance Party that is led by for presidential candidate Ekuru Aukot.