YES EYES 10 000 000

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 27 - A joint meeting of parliamentarians who support the proposed Constitution from the Orange Democratic Movement and the Party of National Unity on Thursday resolved to mobilise 10 million voters to ensure the Yes vote wins in the August 4 referendum.

Speaking after the two-hour meeting at Parliament’s Old Chambers, PNU Secretary General Kiraitu Murungi said they discussed strategies ahead of the official referendum campaign period which kicks off on July 13.

The meeting convened by the Yes Secretariat said their strategy would ensure they garner a majority vote to guarantee the proposed Constitution is approved by Kenyans.

“We have done the campaigns before; on opposite sides and now with the combined knowledge of the No and Yes we don’t see how we can lose this particular campaign,” he said.

The Secretariat’s Co-convener Anyang Nyong'o said the 82 MPs in attendance resolved to set up campaign structures at the national, constituency and the proposed 47 county levels.

Joint rallies will be held at the national level while individual MPs will be allowed to hold separate rallies at the constituency level with the aim of reaching out deeper into the grassroots masses.

It was also resolved that the Yes team would not use funding from the State but would rely on resource mobilisation by both sides of the political formation.

This Saturday, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Water Minister Charity Ngilu are expected to lead the Yes campaign in Kitui, while on Sunday, the VP and Mr Murungi will be at the Makutano junction of the Nyeri-Embu roads.

Prof Nyong’o will lead the Yes crusade to South Mugirango where a by-election is set for June 10.

Meanwhile, the Yes team has called on the Ministry of Finance to release Sh330 millions required by the Committee of Experts on Constitutional Review to conduct civic education

“We hope that the Treasury like any other arm of government is interested in a new Constitution and that they will not fail the people of Kenya,” said Prof Nyong’o.

On Wednesday, CoE Director Ekuru Aukot accused some officers at the Ministry of Finance of sabotaging the process.