Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka is the leader of the Wiper Democratic Movement Party. Photo/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 30 – Wiper Democratic Movement leader Kalonzo Musyoka and council of Governors Chairman Isaac Ruto have indicated plans to consolidate the Okoa Kenya and Pesa Mashinani referendum bids before a plebiscite is held.
Speaking in Tana River, the two leaders said their respective campaigns were aimed at devolving more funds to the counties thus there was no need to go to the referendum divided.
Musyoka said the counties should be strengthened with more funding saying that was the only way to solve the country’s problems.
“There is a possibility that we as Kenyans can sit together so that we do not go into a referendum divided. We know the issues so what we need to have an understanding with Governor Isaac Ruto so that Kenya can be strong,” he stated.
The council of governors’ chairman Isaac Ruto said the issues being pushed by both the Okoa kenya and Pesa Mashinani referendum proponents were the same, noting that there was need for consensus to achieve the intended goal.
“The only thing you have to advise us is how to make the Senate participate more in legislation especially to protect devolution and to make sure that it is not interfered with,” he said.
Senate speaker Ekwe Ethuro committed himself to the success of devolution by overseeing successful and full implementation of the constitution that seeks to improve Kenyans lives through devolution.
“I can confirm to you that there is no Senator who does not want money to be taken to the counties. The point that I want to make is that what we are saying is we want more money to the counties,” he stated.
Ethuro said he was consulting widely with governor Ruto to ensure that the gains made through devolution are not trampled upon, adding that more money was needed to make the devolved units work.
The leaders appealed to all Kenyans not to be divided on religious or ethnic lines by criminals engaging in terror activities, saying that the recent Mandera attack in which 28 people were killed was perpetrated by criminal elements bent on dividing Kenyans along religious lines.
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