• Aukot alleges the leaders are working together with the courts to frustrate the initiative.
• According to Aukot, those opposed are undermining devolution by opposing increased resources and funding to wards.
Image: MAUREEN KINYANJUI
Thirdway Alliance party leader Ekuru Aukot has castigated ODM leader Raila Odinga over his opposition to the Punguza Mizigo initiative.
Aukot also accused Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetangula, Majority Leader of the National Assembly Aden Duale and Raila for sponsoring the petitions against the Bill in court.
Speaking at City Hall on Wednesday, he alleged the leaders are working together with the courts to frustrate the initiative.
“The way we sit, political hunter-gatherers are working with a wolf in the courts of law to frustrate the pro-people initiative,” Aukot said.
“You should stop undermining initiatives that are meant to uplift the lives of Kenyans. This is not a political competition, and if it is we shall play it in 2022.”
Pointing an accusing finger at the courts, Aukot said that the “wolf” in the Corridors of Justice is clearly holding brief for the greedy political class.
On Tuesday, the High Court stopped the 47 county assemblies from debating and approving the Punguza Mizigo Bill.
Justice James Makau also stopped the Thirdway Alliance from presenting the Bill to the Speaker of the National Assembly, pending a case filed in court against it.
The judge said the orders will remain in force for 14 days as other parties named in the petition file their responses.
The petition which was filed by David Kamau Ngari and International Economic Law Centre named the Thirdway Alliance, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), Senate, the Speakers of National Assembly and 47 Speakers of the county assemblies.
According to Aukot, those opposed are undermining devolution by opposing increased resources and funding to wards.
“We not that some individuals opposed to the bill have relied on rallying ethnic sentiments to remain politically relevant. That era is quickly coming to an end through the Constitutional Amendment Bill we have proposed,” Aukot said.
He further stated that opponents of the Bill are worried because the Punguza Mizigo Bill, seeks to end the suffering of the common mwananchi in Kenya as well as end corruption.
The Bill seeks to reduce the representation in Parliament from 416 members to 147 and to increase counties’ revenue share to 35 per cent.
It also proposes to make Senate the upper House with veto power