- Roots party leader George Wajackoya has backed the bid to create the official office of position leader to empower the opposition to check the government.
- However, Wajackoya wants the proposed constitutional changes to create the office to be subjected to a referendum.
Image: JULIUS OTIENO
Roots party leader George Wajackoyah has backed the bid to create the official office of position leader to empower the opposition to check the government.
However, Wajackoyah wants the proposed constitutional changes to create the office to be subjected to a referendum.
He also wants the creation of more than one office of the opposition leader, to accommodate him, the second runner-up in the August 9, presidential election.
“I fully support the creation of the office of the official opposition. But President Ruto cannot bend the law at his will. This is a good amendment that must be through a popular initiative because it touches on the structure of the governance,” he said.
He argued that the office of the official opposition leader should be funded from the exchequer as that Raila received almost equal votes as President William Ruto.
Wajackoyah spoke in the wake of a debate to create an office of the official opposition leader and an office of the deputy official opposition party to make the opposition more effective.
President Ruto has expressed willingness to back the creation of the offices to empower the opposition to check his government.
A separate Bill seeking to establish the offices is also in parliament.
Wajackoyah spoke during the unveiling of some of the party’s new officials in Karen, Nairobi.
The Roots party boss also criticized President Ruto for suspending the four IEBC commissioners who rejected results that declared him the winner over Raila.
“President Ruto ought to have followed the law even if he was not comfortable with the IEBC commissioners.”
“He and his deputy had already pronounced themselves on the matter that these commissioners had to go. Establishing a tribunal is only meant to sanitize his desires to see the four out,” said Wajackoyah.
He also faulted Raila for his ‘early’ criticism of Ruto’s administration which is barely four months since it was installed.
“He should be given at least some time before we start criticizing his government. There are some things he is doing right but there are some things he is not doing right,” he said.
Wajackoyah also spoke about Raila’s consultative rallies, saying that he ought to have consulted him and other opposition politicians.
“He should have consulted widely and we would have given him some of the best decisions,” he said.
On the Hustlers’ fund, Wajackoyah claimed the fund is ‘illegal’ adding that Kenyans are not obligated to refund the loans acquired from the fund.
“That is an illegality. How can you ask Kenyans to share their pins? That is a violation of the Data Protection Act,” he claimed.
On Wednesday, Azimio leaders their supporters to apply for the loans and not repay, arguing that the establishment of the Fund was illegal.