NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 6 – The Clerk of the National Assembly Patrick Gichohi is expected to hand over the Proposed Constitution to Attorney General Amos Wako on Wednesday.
Mr Gichohi is due to attach a certificate to the draft certifying that the report is in its original form as presented by the Committee of Experts.
“We are going through the draft page-by-page to ensure it’s authentic and in it’s original form,” Mr Gichohi said on Tuesday.
The law requires the AG to publish the draft within 30 days before the Committee of Experts embarks on countrywide civic education.
MPs last week passed the draft law without any amendments after all proposals were defeated.
But Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Mutula Kilonzo urged the Attorney General to immediately publish the draft Constitution to allow for the start of a nationwide civic education programme.
Mr Kilonzo said the AG should publish the draft without further delay since Members of Parliament passed it without a single amendment.
“By Parliament passing this document unanimously last Thursday, we have bought this country another 30 days. That’s why I don’t want the AG to just ruminate on a document he cannot amend because I am satisfied that even the church leaders in particular look like they need serious civic education on this document,” he said.
He at the same time said he will work towards getting the Church and other interest groups to drop the hard-line stance and support passage of the new law.
Mr Kilonzo expressed confidence that the draft will get at least 80 percent approval by Kenyans at the refererundum.
“If you say no now when will you say yes, kindly tell us, and what is your timeframe and what do we need to do for you to say yes. Do you want us to kneel in front of you? Do you want us to worship you? Do you want us to beg you? Do you want us to tell you the rest of the world will not wait for us?” he posed.
“What do you require in order to say yes?”
Mr Kilonzo has also urged retired President Daniel arap Moi and Environment Minister John Michuki to stop opposing the draft which, he said, was produced by ordinary Kenyans.
“There are some people who are not famous for seeking reforms. I think that they have not read the document well enough but beyond that I don’t want to get into personal disputes with anybody,” he stated.
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