Kibaki, Raila pitch for new law in final rally

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga used the final rally in Nairobi to make a strong pitch for support of the proposed law, saying it would mark the birth of the second republic.

The two who led a confident Green team to the rally at Nairobi’s Uhuru Park exuded confidence that Kenyans will pass the suggested law on Wednesday (August 4).

“The enthusiasm Kenyans have shown across the country has convinced us they will pass the proposed constitution. On August 5, Kenyans will celebrate a new constitution,” said President Kibaki.

“Nobody will block our efforts to deliver the new constitution,” he told the rally attended by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, more than 20 Cabinet ministers and dozens of MPs.

A seemingly re-energised Mr Odinga who returned the referendum campaign on Friday, said a new constitution will mark the end of a long journey in the pursuit of a new order.

Mr Odinga said the battle for a new constitution has been painful.

“During the journey, some people were killed, maimed and others orphaned. Lets us complete the journey, raise Kenya’s flag on the mountain and ensure a rebirth of the second republic.”

Mr Odinga said the new constitution would open up more opportunities for women, youth, farmers, pastoralists and other marginalised groups.

Speakers at the rally pointed out that the new constitution would end impunity, tame a power presidency, ensure equitable distribution of resources and address past injustices.

The Premier deployed football imagery to underline his confidence that the Green team will score the critical goal in the goal, and deliver victory at the referendum.

“President Kibaki is like Iniesta and would be Fabregas. I will deliver the critical pass to him and I am sure he will score.”

The Arsenal fan was making reference to Spanish players who helped their nation win the World Cup last month.

He paid glowing tribute to President Kibaki and the ‘Yes’ team for spearheading the campaign for the adoption of the proposed constitution when he was indisposed.

“Mimi nilikuwa nalala nikiwa mgonjwa nikiona hawa wenzangu wakiendesha campaign na hiyo ikafanya mimi kupona haraka zaidi (I was lying in bed sick while watching my colleagues run the campaign and this helped me heal much faster),” the PM noted.

He urged Kenyans to turn out in large numbers to pass the document on Wednesday so that the country could have a new beginning.

Local Government minister Musalia Mudavadi on his part quoted Tanzania’s founding father, the late Julius Nyerere who likened a constitution to a child’s clothes which needed constant change as it grows.

Hamisi MP George Khaniri on his part expressed confidence that the ‘Yes’ team will score a resounding victory come Wednesday and appealed to President Kibaki to declare Thursday a public holiday so that they could celebrate the birth of the new constitution.

Many of the speakers chose not to dwell on the content of the proposed constitution and instead focused on what they said was the impending victory of the ‘Yes’ team come Wednesday.

Cabinet ministers from Rift Valley such as Henry Kosgey, Sally Kosgei and Franklin Bett asked the Kalenjin community to join other Kenyans in passing the new constitution.

“We should be on the right side of history,” said Mr Kosgey.

The ‘Yes’ team also used the rally to announce that it was winding up its secretariat after three months in operation.

The co-director of the secretariat Prof Peter Kagwanja announced that only a skeleton team will be retained to help in coordinating the ‘Yes’ campaign for the two remaining days before Kenyans vote on Wednesday.
He said that all staff had been paid and would not be expected to report to work at the Secretariat’s offices at Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) Monday morning.

Mr Musyoka appealed to Kenyans to vote for the proposed constitution because it would usher in a fresh start in the process of nation building and national development. Mr Musyoka said the document was key to the achievement of Vision 2030 and other development initiatives the government was initiating.

“The proposed constitution offers real promise for these objectives in the context of Kenya Vision 2030,” the VP stated.