Wako, Ruto disown Raila on plebiscite

By Moses Njagih and Allan Kisia

Kenya: Representatives of senators and governors spearheading the joint push to amend the Constitution have disowned former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s bid and urged Kenyans to draw distinctions between the two agenda.

Senate’s Legal Affairs Committee chairman Amos Wako and the chairman of the Council of Governors Isaac Ruto further said they would not allow Mr Odinga to sneak in his proposed amendment to the law in their joint bid.

Wako, the Busia Senator and former Attorney General, said Odinga’s push for amendment to move the country from a presidential system of governance to a parliamentary one, would not be incorporated in the process being championed by the Senate, governors and the leadership of county assemblies.

Separate initiatives

“Our proposals have nothing to do with presidential or parliamentary system of government. The respective initiatives are distinct and separate,” said Wako at a press conference accompanied by Mr Ruto.

 Ruto said governors had never been approached over any other initiative for constitutional amendments, dismissing earlier claims by Odinga that his proposed amendment had the blessings of the county heads.

Separately, Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi accused Odinga of plotting a “coup” on the process being fronted by the Senate and governors, warning that Jubilee will back out of the process if the “sinister agenda” by the CORD leader finds its way in their proposed amendment.