Draft is unfair to the Kamba

Higher Education Minister William Ruto has described the Proposed Constitution as a recipe for chaos and urged Kenyans to reject it.

In his tour of Makueni District, Ruto accused the Government (read ‘Yes’ team) of intimidating Kenyans into supporting the draft.

Accompanied by 12 MPs, the team made stopovers at Mulolongo, Kola and other trading centres before addressing a rally at Wote town, where he told the Kamba to reject the draft because it was unfair to them.

The minister said the senate arrangement in the proposed law disadvantaged the community, adding the Kamba have been given a raw deal by successive governments.

He said the fact the vast Ukambani region was allocated only three counties in the proposed law was proof the "document is unfavourable".

Ruto also claimed Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka would soon defect to the ‘No’ camp.

"Tunajua msimamo wa Kalonzo uko wapi. Wacha akakae kwa ‘Yes’ (We know the VP’s stand. We don’t have problems with him. When the day comes, atapita katika yao (read Kibaki and Raila) to our camp (he will join us).

But in a quick rejoinder, the VPs spokesman Kaplich Barsito said Kalonzo was firmly in the ‘Yes’ team campaigning for the passage of the proposed law.

Kaplich cited Kalonzo’s campaigns for the constitution yesterday in Changamwe, Mombasa, where he urged residents to endorse the document "which would set a foundation for economical take off".

"There is therefore no plan for the VP to join the ‘No’ camp," said Kaplich.

It’s unacceptable

The Eldoret North MP reiterated his earlier stand that once the law is passed it would be hard to amend.

Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo said it was only through rejection of the proposed law that the Kamba would be awakening the Government to fundamental injustices.

"The people in Ukambani have been oppressed since independence. We cannot sit now and watch as the proposed law allocates the 3.6 million people only three counties. This is unacceptable," Kiema said.

Information Minister Samuel Phogisio, MPs Wilfred Machage, Charles Keter, Joshua Kutuny, Victor Munyaka, Cryus Jirongo, Zakayo Cheruiyot, Benjamin Langat, Peter Kiilu, Jackson Kiptanui, Moses Lessonet and Elijah Lagat accompanied Ruto.