Punguza Mzigo flops as more MCAs reject it
By Eric Wainana and Githinji Mwangi
The death of Thirdway Alliance’s Punguza Mizigo initiative after it failed to get support of at least 24 county assemblies, now leaves the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) as the only avenue to a possible review of the Constitution.
Already, President Uhuru Kenyatta has kicked off campaigns for the BBI, which also has the support of opposition leader Raila Odinga.
A report of the BBI, which is a product of the March last year’s Handshake between Uhuru and Raila, is ready and awaiting handing over to the two leaders.
Yesterday, Ekuru Aukot’s bill was rejected by nine more county assemblies, bringing the total number of those that have thrown it out to 31.
Counties which rejected the Bill on Wednesday are Kilifi, Embu, Nandi, Kitui, Machakos, Mombasa, Nyandarua, Isiolo, Marsabit, while Trans Nzoia, Garrissa, Nandi, Elgeyo Marakwet Kericho, Meru, Tana River and Busia which voted against it on Tuesday.
Other counties that voted against the proposal are Nairobi, Kiambu, Siaya, Kakamega, Kisumu, Kisii, Kirinyaga, Nyamira, Makueni, Nyeri, Mandera, Lamu and Homa Bay.
Yesterday, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru said the Mt Kenya region supports the BBI which, she said, will help end violence at every election cycle.
“The BBI will bring about inclusivity which will lead to harmony and lasting peace in the country. We will go out and campaign for it so that citizens can understand what it is all about,’’ she said.
According to Waiguru the Aukot bill is a populist with many proposals that she said were unworkable.
“It was also rejected for failing to have guideline to prosperity,” she said.
Speaking yesterday when she rolled out a programme to distribute free sanitary pads to 4,257 school girls in the county, Waiguru said Aukot did not consult other leaders and the public before drafting the bill.
In Kirinyaga, MCAs said they rejected it because it was unrealistic and retrogressive and seems to erode gains made by the 2010 Constitution, but Aukot does not believe that it died a “natural death”, claiming its critics bribed and intimidated MCAs into killing it.
Punguza Mizigo was pushing, for among other things, a trim down of elective seats to reduce the wage bill while BBI is said to favour an expansion of the Executive to make it more inclusive.
But Deputy President William Ruto and his Tanga Tanga allies are opposed to the initiative which they say aims at creating extra positions in government to satisfy the needs of politicians.
