The campaign for the ‘Yes’ vote for the draft constitution intensified on Sunday, with President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga being asked to ensure their ministers do not derail the review.
Cotu secretary-general Francis Atwoli, while speaking in Mombasa, told the two coalition partners to sack Cabinet ministers opposing the draft constitution.
Mr Atwoli also warned that MPs opposing the draft would be voted out in 2012.
Support ‘Yes’ vote
Some of the Cabinet ministers who have indicated that they would support the ‘No’ vote on the draft include Agriculture minister William Ruto, Environment minister John Michuki and East African Community minister Amason Kingi, and several assistant ministers.
Mr Atwoli praised Tourism minister Najib Balala for declaring that he would support the ‘Yes’ vote and asked his Agriculture counterpart, Mr Ruto, to follow suit.
And speaking on Sunday, Mr Odinga accused those opposed to the new constitution of distorting facts to win support.
The PM also said those opposed to the proposed laws on land were not being sincere. He said it was unfair for absentee landlords to own huge chunks, yet the majority were starving due to lack of farm land.
“It is not good that community land falls in the hands of a few individuals, yet the rest do not have any.”
The Prime Minister spoke at Bar Kanyango in Bondo during the laying of a new foundation stone of the Bondo Teachers Training College.
He was accompanied by Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang’, assistant minister Oburu Oginga, and MPs John Mbadi, Olago Aluoch and Shakeel Shabir.
Anglican Church bishops Francis Abiero (Maseno South) and Bondo’s Joanes Angela said they supported the draft law.
Earlier, Maseno West Bishop Joseph Wasonga urged his colleagues to push for amendments after the referendum.
Already wavering
Said Mr Kajwang’: “Many leaders are already wavering. Even minister (William) Ruto will say ‘Yes’ because he will realise that he is standing alone,” he said.
Separately, the National Civil Society Congress accused church leaders of teaming up with anti-reform forces. They also rejected an eight-member team formed last week to broker consensus on abortion and kadhis’ courts, saying it was not on organ of the review.
“Other organs of the review have done their part,” Mr Maurice Odhiambo, the lobby’s president, said. “It is now up to Kenyans to decide.”
Last week, President Kibaki, Mr Odinga, and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka met Christian leaders to try to woo them to support the draft.
They formed the eight-member committee, with representatives from both sides, to spearhead dialogue.
The church leaders have objected to provisions on abortion and the kadhis’ courts. They want the referendum postponed for three months to give time for consensus on the contentious issues.
But yesterday, the civil society group said the process had reached “a point of no return.” Haki Focus lobby executive director Harun Ndubi said members of civil society would not allow the dialogue between the government and the church leaders to subvert the review process.
Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi on Sunday, they said plans were under way for political parties and NGOs to campaign for voter registration.
And Nominated MP Musa Sirma on Sunday broke ranks with his parliamentary colleagues from the Rift Valley who have declared that they will vote against the proposed draft.
Mr Sirma who is a close ally of Mr Odinga, told the Nation by telephone that he had changed his mind “from No to Yes” after a careful study of the document.
Many Rift Valley MPs especially those from the Kalenjin community have vowed to vote ‘No’ in the referendum.
In Nyeri, the Democratic Party of Kenya said it would support the draft constitution and urged religious leaders dissatisfied with it not to kill the draft law because of only two contentious issues.
The issue of abortion and kadhis’ courts can be put to a referendum or be addressed through the Supreme Court as provided for in the proposed constitution, party said.
And in Runyenjes, Tourism assistant minister Cecily Mbarire said the draft constitution will only go through the referendum if the President, PM and Vice President show unwavering support.
Any division between the three could lead to a negative vote for the draft, she warned during a medical camp at Kagaari primary school on Sunday.
Meanwhile, members of the Mungiki sect will declare their stand on the draft constitution on Monday and later meet the PM.
Mungiki boss Maina Njenga will lead the delegation to the meeting at Mr Odinga’s Treasury Building office in Nairobi.
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