There is a lot of talk about a referendum and a move to a parliamentary system.
The idea appears to be motivated by political self-interest rather than high principle. Rivals of Deputy President William Ruto believe that this might be one way to block him from becoming president.
A parliamentary system has many advantages and it is unfortunate that it has become contaminated with such manoeuvres.
MPs select a Prime Minister in a parliamentary system and an elected president is largely ceremonial. It is not the winner-takes-all system of our existing executive presidency.
Therefore it would be more likely that parties could emerge straddling ethnic divides. A Farmers Party might have successful candidates in Kakamega and Nyeri, for instance. Over time, this would hopefully lead to politics based on policy rather than ethnicity.
The one risk is that a Prime Minister could overstay in office as he or she would be elected by MPs. But a rule that no one could serve as PM for longer than, say, eight years could guard against this.
Quote of the day: "Power is something of which I am convinced there is no innocence this side of the womb."
Nadine Gordimer
The South African writer won the Nobel Prize in Literature on 3 October, 1991
