All the six Bomet county MPs and majority of the MCAs did not attend the launch of governors Pesa Mashinani referendum push on Saturday. Only five out of the 35 MCAs attended the launch of the collection of a million signatures, held at Bomet Green Stadium. Assembly speaker Geoffrey Kipngetich was said to be on an official trip outside the country. The meeting was attended by five governors – Isaac Rutto (Bomet), James Ongwae (Kisii), Jack Ranguma (Kisumu), David Nkedianye (Kajiado), Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega) and Paul Chepkwony (Kericho), and Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter. Sources close to the MCAs said the ward representatives are yet to arrive at a position on whether to support the referendum push. “The launch of the exercise came prematurely at a time when we as a House were yet to deliberate and make a conclusive and binding decision on the matter since we have to consult the electorate. We do not want to do things without the knowledge of our people,” said an MCA. The recent summonses of the United Republican Party nominated MCAs by the party’s national executive council over alleged allegiance to Rutto at the expense of the party principles might have also led to their absence. Some MCAs have also questioned the source of the funds used to finance the referendum campaigns. Last Friday, five MCAs alleged that Rutto, who is also the Council of Governors chairman, is misusing public funds to popularise the push for more funds. They demanded that government agencies investigates Rutto. However, the governors said they resorted to taking the vote to the people to decide rather than the parliamentary approach as they fear the tyranny of numbers marred with sycophancy. “We have all seen how the National Assembly handles the devolution issues with a lot of insensitivity and we cannot trust them anymore to decide on how to share the national resources. That is why we say let Kenyans choose what they want,” Rutto said. Meanwhile, Nandi Governor Cleophas Lagat has backed off the referendum push. According to a source close to Deputy President William Ruto, the governor met Ruto on Thursday evening and had a discussion for more than three hours. The next day during the funeral of the chairman of the Nandi Council of Elders John Rugut in Kesses constituency, Lagat said he was not supporting the referendum.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 08:41:42 +0000
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