ODM-Kenya has not taken stand on draft

ODM-Kenya National Organising Secretary Lucas Maitha has said he joined party chairman Samuel Poghisio in the ‘No’ camp because the party has no stand on the Proposed Constitution.

Maitha said the party never met to decide on a united stand. "Even if the party could have met, a divided opinion would have emerged," Maitha said.

He, however, said the future of ODM-Kenya is not under threat due to the differences in opinion on the Proposed Constitution, adding that the same was happening even in other political parties.

"The party is still strong and members will meet after the August 4 referendum to plan for the future," Maitha said.

"I cannot support the Proposed Constitution just because party leader Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka is doing it. This is not a party matter. I have read the document, understood it and did not like it," the former Malindi MP said.

Maitha said he agrees with Higher Education Minister William Ruto that the land clause may lead to the poor losing their land, as they would be charged some premium on it.

Centralised commission

"Our people at the Coast (Province) are marginalised and poor. How can they pay premium on their land?" Maitha asked.

He said he does not see any sense in vesting powers over community land on a centralised national commission, which would be sitting in Nairobi.

"The National Land Commission should have nothing to do with community land as this could also be used to transfer community land to other people," Maitha claimed.