KOSGEY HECKLED OVER RUTO

The drive towards a new constitution gained momentum as leaders went to the grassroots to mobilise wananchi to support the draft at the referendum.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga kicked off the ‘Yes’ campaign on Friday in the North Rift.

Raila moved to Agriculture Minister William Ruto’s turf in Eldoret North, a day after he was involved in lengthy talks with Church leaders opposed to the draft with President Kibaki on Thursday afternoon.

Some Church leaders are opposed to the Proposed Constitution because of a clause allowing abortion on medical grounds and the inclusion of Kadhis’ courts. Politicians, led by Ruto, also want a three-tier system of government.

Raila took his campaign for draft constitution to Ziwa, in Eldoret North Constituency, which Ruto represents.

The public booed ODM chairman Henry Kosgey and Forestry Assistant Josephat Nanok when they tried to attack Ruto for his association with PNU.

Kosgey was booed when he said the Kikuyu, Luhya and Luo were leading in that order and the Kalenjin was ranked fourth in population census.

Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi said PNU MPs had deceived Ruto that they would support him for a position in the Parliamentary Select Committee on the constitution.

"I shelved my ambition for the chair to support Ruto but his PNU friends let him down," said Mudavadi.

He told the meeting that some ODM MPs absented themselves from the Naivasha retreat so that the party could lose the position it was pushing for in the constitution review.

He further claimed that some party MPs also deliberately absented themselves from voting in Parliament so that Ruto could lose the position he was fighting for.

James Orengo said the land clauses in the draft would give people a say in the use of land through the Senate and counties.

Most speakers said a plot had been hatched to divide ODM using Ruto, because PNU fears if ODM remains united it would win the 2012 elections.

On Friday, Muslim clerics announced they would hold a meeting in Nairobi today before announcing their stand.

Things appeared to be moving fast, as the Committee of Experts (CoE) announced it would distribute civic education materials.

Civil society groups were also in Machakos rooting for the passing of the new law at a meeting attended by CoE officials.

The head of civic education Ms Veronica Nduva assured Kenyans that they would be supplied with sufficient copies of the Proposed Constitution and other relevant materials.

She said CoE is printing handbooks for distribution as part of the civic education campaigns.

"We want to reach as many Kenyans as possible ahead of the referendum so that they understand what is contained in the document," said Nduva.

And the Catholic Church also announced that it had no quarrel with Muslims over the retention of the Kadhis’ courts in the Proposed Constitution.

Mombasa Catholic Bishop Boniface Lele has said: "The eight-member committee, formed on Thursday during the meeting between Mwai Kibaki, Raila Odinga and the clerics, will resolve the wrangles between the Church and Muslims."

"We are sure nothing is lost, since a team has been formed to discuss the matter. An agreement will be come out very soon," he said.

Speaking at Kapsowar, the PM assured Kenyans that a civic education programme would soon be rolled out so for voters to get proper understanding of the contentious clauses.

"People need to know that in the Proposed Constitution, provinces will be scrapped and replaced with counties and PCs removed and governors will take their place," he said.

He told them that chiefs will be subjected to an election in their areas and will be voted out by the people if they are found wanting.

"It should be clear to Christians that the Kadhis’ courts are in the current constitution while abortion has not been legalised as claimed," He said.

In Momabasa, Bishop Lele asked Christians to allow negotiations to continue for an amicable understanding.

"I want to tell our Muslim brothers and sisters that the Church has nothing against them. We support the Kadhis’ court but it must be in an Act of Parliament and not in the Constitution," he said.

The chairman of the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims in Mombasa, Sheikh Modhar Khitamy told The Saturday Standard the Interfaith Council had been mandated to resolve wrangles between Muslims and Christians.

Speaking at the closure of a workshop for civic education providers at a Machakos hotel organised by Uraia and the Lower Eastern NGOs Network, Nduva asked Kenyans to make informed decisions.