Opposition leader Raila Odinga/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 8 – Siaya County Assembly on Wednesday became the first Assembly in the Country to debate and pass the National Super Alliance (NASA) People’s Assembly motion.
The Motion which was launched and distributed to NASA friendly counties and media houses on Tuesday by co-principals Moses Wetangula and Musalia Mudavadi proposes radical measures among them a review of the 2010 constitution to reform the structure of the Executive, Parliament and devolved units.
The Siaya Assembly Speaker George Okode took the members through the debate of the motion that they say will help in fixing some of the problems bedeviling the country.
Okode read out the resolutions as debated by the members that include restructuring the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to pave way for fresh presidential elections next year.
The Assembly resolved that the two presidential elections held in August and October were null and void occasioning the formation of the People’s Assembly to push for further reforms and subsequent presidential election.
The MCAs unanimously passed the motion when it was called out for the vote.
The resolution proposes measures which the Coalition hopes will strengthen independent institutions in Kenya.
“A review of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 be undertaken to reform the structure of the Executive and Parliament and devolution and to reinforce concrete measures for the promotion of inclusivity, the welfare of the marginalised, the advancement of women and youth, the eradication of corruption and poverty and to secure social justice, equality and fairness,” reads part of the Motion.
Speaking on Tuesday at Okoa Kenya offices in Lavington, Wetangula said the motion will be discussed in NASA friendly counties and eventually lead to a national convention where the proposals will be adopted to chart the way forward for the country.
“As we have explained in recent days, the People’s Assembly will comprise Governors and Deputy Governors; members of the Senate, National Assembly and County Assembly; religious, trade union and civil society leaders; and representatives of youth and women organisations,” Wetangula said adding that, “it is to constitute a convention to be held in Nairobi to discuss and determine the pathway to democracy and constitutionalism and to restore legality and the rule of law.”
“The convention shall make decisions and recommendations to achieve democracy, constitutionalism and to restore legality and will form any bodies or organise other platforms for purposes of attaining its declared objectives.”
The motion which Garissa Township Member of Parliament Aden Duale recently termed a waste of time also proposes an establishment of a different electoral body with a view to conducting fresh general elections since the coalition doesn’t recognise the results of the repeat presidential elections held on 26th October 2017.
“A truly Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission be established with a view of holding a fresh presidential election on or before February 9, 2018,” reads the motion.
Speaking last week about the People’s Assembly motion and its proposals, Duale said the attempt by Odinga to call for another election in 90 days is an exercise in futility which would not come to pass even if President Uhuru Kenyatta were to engage him in dialogue.
“Our friends in Opposition cannot ask something which is not in the Constitution. There is no provision in the Constitution that says that there shall be elections within 90 days, the only elections as anchored in the law include the General Election that comes after every five years, by-elections, presidential and presidential repeat elections as found in Article 143 of the Constitution,” said Duale.
Another agenda of the motion is a proposal to review constitutional commissions including the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), the National Police Service, the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the Public Service Commission (PSC), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).
“A truly Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission be established with a view of holding a fresh presidential election on or before February 9, 2018.”
Odinga left for the United States to take his push for electoral reforms to the US Congress as he hopes to gain momentum on the coalition’s multi-pronged offensive against the Jubilee government.
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