NASA Leader premier Raila Odinga has said the country will for a referendum vote in to realise the objective of the handshake agreement.
He hinted that the key referendum question will be touching on the governance structure. The handshake agreement signed 9th March 2018 between Raila and President Uhuru had a 9 agenda points towards building lasting peace and unity especially during electioneering period.
Kenya has experienced political violence since the advent of multi-party politics in 1991/1992 in which year we had the worst election related tribal clashes at the coast and rift valley, the same was repeated in 1997 and successfully in 2007 to 2017. The worst being 2007 when Raila won presidential vote but then incumbent president Kibaki refused to hand over power. about 1200 people were killed by tribal militias in Rift Valley and Central Kenya with police shooting opposition supporters in Kisumu, Kakamega, Nairobi and Mombasa.
The former prime minister told Migori residents during a rally in support of ODM Senator candidate Ochillo Ayacko that changes expected after the referendum is for Kenya’s good.
“The referendum calls are to make the 2010 Constitution better and stronger, and most importantly to safeguard the supreme law,” Raila said.
Migori is set to elect a new senator on Monday, a poll which was occasioned by the death of Senator Ben Oluoch Okello. Raila said the Building Bridges team will collect views from all Kenyans on how best the Constitution should be changed.
The former prime minister said the calls for Constitution change is among major issues that the handshake will seek to rectify.
“The vote will help safeguard the President’s legacy and chart the country in the right path for a better future,” Raila said.
He cited strengthening devolution to make it stronger and work better for Kenyans as among the changes.
Others will be a change in the structure of the Executive “to lessen the burden on taxpayers.”
“We will also seek to safeguard the environment under the referendum where Kenyans will give their views on how best to move forward on the matter,” he said.
Raila said those who are against the call for a referendum should step aside “as they don’t have the country’s interests at heart.”
DP Ruto and his latest acquisition of a lap dog Bungoma senator Moses Wetangula have vowed to oppose constitutional changes.
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