Stick to truth on new law, politicians urged
Kenya youths have urged the groups campaigning for or against the proposed constitution to stick to the facts contained in the document.

They said leaders in the No and Yes camps were deliberately misrepresenting issues to sway Kenyans to their side, which needs to stop.

"There must be a way in which we can utilise facts and the truth to persuade voters to agree with our perspectives as opposed to manipulating them with lies and misrepresentations," said a statement from the Youth Agenda, a civil society group involved with governance, at the Stanley Hotel, Nairobi Thursday.

Youth Agenda acting chief executive Susan Kariuki said the youth were "shocked and disgusted" by politicians' propaganda during the referendum campaigns.

Plant fear

She said accused the No team of lying to Kenyans that Parliament will legislate the minimum landholding to one acre.

"This has been used to drum up support for the No vote by planting fear in poor Kenyans who toil to buy quarter acre plots that their land shall be taken away by the State."

Ms Kariuki referred to Article 40 of the proposed constitution that states that no law shall be enacted to allow the arbitrary deprivation of property of any description.

The group also criticised the Yes camp for insisting that the provincial administration will still be in place post referendum, saying "...being used to ensure that the Green camp does not lose the support of the provincial administration".

It pointed out that the new law is clear that the provincial administration will be restructured and that "it ceases to be relevant as things will be managed through the counties".

The group also held a peaceful demonstration in protest at the MPs move to award themselves a huge pay increase. The procession took the Youth Agenda to Freedom Corner in Nairobi's Uhuru Park.

According to the recommendations of a pay tribunal, an ordinary MP will take home Sh1.09 million in basic salary and allowances, up from the current Sh851,000.

This includes Sh300,000 basic salary, Sh130,000 constituency allowance, Sh100,000 entertainment allowance, Sh100,000 extraneous allowance, Sh150,000 house allowance, Sh366,000 transport allowance and Sh60,000 car maintenance allowance.

The balance of Sh65,000 represents the five per cent yearly increment to cushion members from the rise in the cost of living.