PRINTING ERROR

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has denied allegations of the government’s involvement in the printing “error” that saw the words 'national security’ inserted into the Bill of Rights chapter of the new constitution.

“The government was not involved. It was just two or three people, but that was found out early enough,” Mr Odinga said while addressing journalists at Nairobi’s All Saints Cathedral on Sunday.

He said Kenyans ought not be “worried, because what was approved by Parliament is what Kenyans will vote for in the referendum (on August 4).”

“People can go on publishing fake ones, but that changes nothing...there’s no need to make noise about it calling for the suspension of the referendum. Just assume they (those fake ones) don’t exist,” he added.

This was in an apparent reference to the heightened pressure on the government, mostly from the 'No’ camp to halt or postpone the referendum because of the fake copies in circulation.

MPs led by Higher Education minister William Ruto have been on the forefront saying the fact that the fake document came from the Government Printer had “fundamentally compromised the integrity of the review process.”

However, speaking for the first time on the issue, Mr Odinga said the country has been keen on a new constitution for a long time and “it was time to move on to other things.”

According to the PM, the plot to alter the proposed law must have been hatched by people who had failed to amend the document in Parliament.

The PM’s remark comes at a time when the police are carrying out a high-profile investigation on people behind the alteration that is said to have embarrassed Attorney General Amos Wako and the Government Printer Gitonga Rukaria and to an extent the Committee of Experts.

He played down the push and pull between coalition partners ODM and PNU on who is to lead the 'Yes’ team saying it was not a party affair.

“This is about the [new] Constitution [for this country], it is not about 2012. That time will come,” said Mr Odinga.

He termed the declaration by Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka that he’ll host rallies for the 'Yes’ campaign as one of the 'Yes’ team’s strategies to cover the whole country before the ballot on the proposed law.

“We’ll have joint rallies and have other rallies separately. We can’t all be at the same place at the same time [campaigning for the proposed law]” he said.