Okoa Kenya campaign set for relaunch in Mombasa

Kenya: Okoa Kenya Movement will launch a final push to popularize its referendum drive with rallies and town hall meetings in Mombasa on Sunday.

This will mark the final phase of signature collection and discussion of the issues before the Bill on referendum before it goes to the IEBC.

CORD leader Raila Odinga said on Tuesday that the Committee of Experts will join mostly local politicians in Mombasa on Sunday to explain the issues to MCAs and popularize the referendum drive.

From Mombasa, the team will move to different parts of the country in a campaign that will take about a month before the team takes the Bill to the Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission.

Raila disclosed the plan to relaunch the OKM campaign when he met a group of MPs who met at his offices in Capitol Hill Square.

The MPs included Agostino Neto of Ndhiwa, Millie Odhiambo of Mbita, Ken Okoth (Kibra), Abdullahi Diriye of Wajir South and Rachel Ameso of Kakamega County.

The MPs also met Okoa Kenya Movement’s Committee of Experts and Secretariat officials for a briefing on the status of the collection of signatures.

They declared commitment to join the new push starting this weekend to collect more signatures and explain the issues to the people.

The former PM said the campaign is entering a critical stage as the Committee of Experts is finalizing the Bill which will be taken to IEBC and later to County Assemblies.

"Books are coming back for verification of signatures and the Bill is being drafted. The issues will then be much clearer and we want to prepare the ground for massive explanation of the issues,” Raila said.

He said the Okoa Kenya campaign is much more complex because it touches on multiple issues.

“We are not talking just about money when we talk about devolution. We want some security functions devolved. We have to tackle land, inclusivity and electoral reforms. The Committee of Experts is working to ensure the complex issues are clear. Then we will be counting on the politicians to take the message to the people,” Raila said.

He asked voters to be wary of jubilee pledge to increase funding to the counties once the Public Accounts Committee completes audit of reports.

“Jubilee wants to increase funding through a Bill. But a bill can easily be repealed. What we want to do is make the amount spelt out in the constitution so that whoever wants to change it must go to the people. It is much more than PAC submitting its reports,” Raila said.