Referendum push in crucial phase as CORD launches signatures drive

CORD leader Raila Odinga, (right), joins Okoa Kenya Referendum committee members at committee’s office in Lavington, Nairobi. He is flanked by committee members, from left, David Lamba, Suna East MP Junnet Mohammed, (not a member), Oduor Ong’wen and Anthony Oluoch. [PHOTO: JONAH ONYANGO/STANDARD]

NAIROBI, KENYA: The Opposition's push for a referendum enters a crucial phase today when former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and other luminaries launch a drive to collect a million signatures of supportive Kenyans.

The launch will take place simultaneously in three locations; Nairobi, Western and Nyanza as the opposition readies for a fierce battle with President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee. The Constitution requires a petition be signed by a million people, but CORD is targeting five million signatures.

Announcing the plans yesterday, Raila, who was flanked by "Okoa Kenya" secretariat officials, oozed confidence that the bid would be successful despite efforts by Jubilee to scuttle it.

Among the methods Jubilee hopes to use to frustrate the push is by inserting a referendum question limiting the age of a presidential candidate to 65 years, which would effectively lock him out.

Speaking to journalists Friday, 'Okoa Kenya' secretariat chair Paul Mwangi, said they will roll out the signature campaign in Migori, Embakasi (Nairobi County) and in Western Kenya.

Raila will be in Migori, Kalonzo Musyoka will be in Embakasi while Moses Wetang'ula will be at a yet-to-be disclosed location in Western Kenya.

The secretariat unveiled a form that petitioners will be required to sign.

The issues that people will be signing up for include: electoral reform, increase in allocation of revenue to counties, an inclusive government, robust public institutions among other issues.

Raila said the pullout by governors allied to Jubilee coalition from the referendum push will not slow down the bid to change the Constitution.

"It is futile to try and intimidate governors so that they can pull out of the process. The ship has already set sail and cannot be stopped until the final destination. We cannot be intimidated and all we call for is for the Jubilee government to join us and give Kenyans a better life," he said.

The CORD leader dismissed critics, who have been saying that the referendum call is ill-timed and an expensive exercise that the country cannot afford.

He argued the Constitution implementation process will end next year. He said changes must be made before that time lapses. The mandate of the team implementing the Constitution –the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution lapses on August 27, 2015.

Mwangi said the target was five million signatures, which is five times more than the minimum one million signatures prescribed in the Constitution. He said the exercise will be done all over the country.

Raila also dismissed fears that the one million signatures required would not be achievable, now that the county bosses were pulling out from the cause.

"The governors are pulling out as individuals and not on behalf of the people they represent," Raila said.

The CORD leader, who had made a visit to the Okoa Kenya secretariat, said his team would endure Jubilee's tactics to scuttle their bid to change the four-year-old Constitution. He accused the President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto's led coalition of piling pressure on some governors but this he said would not stop the "ship" from sailing to the final destination.

Governors affiliated to Jubilee alliance started withdrawing their support for the referendum push by the Council of Governors on Wednesday.

The county bosses led by Kiambu Governor William Kabogo, said they have opted out of the move as the clamour had taken a political dimension.

The party will be adopting a three front signature collection campaign.

Raila also denied claims that the search for the signatures was based on CORD's strongholds saying that they will be rolling out similar campaigns in TNA and URP's strongholds later on.

The party will be collecting the signatures at rallies and not at designated places.

In the signature form labelled "Okoa Kenya referendum petition" the first agenda placed by coalition is the need to have the Constitution amended, increasing revenue to the counties and strengthening the role of National Land Commission and defining the roles of communities in managing natural resources.