FELIX OLICK
Cord has hired 100 data clerks to digitise the details of more than one million Kenyans who signed in support of the coalition's referendum bid, the Star has established.
This comes amid revelations that opposition chiefs are targeting a referendum date for mid-next year as they they build momentum to unseat President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2017.
Yesterday, Okoa Kenya's Committee of Experts chairman Paul Mwangi declined to name the clerk's at a location he declined to disclose.
“Yes, the data clerks are working in shifts day and night. The process began on Monday and was witnessed by the Rt Hon Raila Odinga,” he told the Star.
This process comes after months of back-breaking signature verification.
Amending the constitution through a popular initiative requires at least one million signatures from registered voters.
Mwangi, the former legal affairs advisor to Raila, said they are in the final stage, setting the stage for the presentation of the Okoa Kenya Bill to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
Sources said the Cord co-principals, Raila, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang'ula, are set to unveil the Okoa Kenya website.
They said the opposition has reduced the referendum issues to resonate with the people’s concerns and avoid any confusion during campaigns.
“The main issues that we will present in the bill are devolution, electoral reforms and ethnic inclusivity,” a source said.
The proposal to increase the retirement age for judges from 70 to 75, for example, has been scrapped.
The coalition has drawn a time schedule to meet and win the favour of the 2, 200 MCAs across the country, whose vote will be crucial to the plebiscite bid.
The draft referendum bill will have to win the support of at least 24 out of the 47 counties before it goes to the National Assembly and Senate.
The Cord principals and the Committee of Experts will meet MCAs beginning with Machakos for all ward representatives from Ukambani, Mombasa for all Coast MCAs and then Kakamega for Western Kenya.
“The idea is to ensure that they understand why the referendum has to succeed,” the source said.
Cord is targeting mid-next year as the date for the referendum as they build impetus, akin to the 2005 referendum.
According to the timelines provided by the constitution and the Election Act, its takes approximately nine months for a referendum to happen after the bill is sent to the electoral commission.
After the bill is submitted to the IEBC, its sent to the county assemblies within three months.
County assemblies will also reject or approve the bill within three months.
IEBC will then have the authority to conduct the referendum within 90 days of publication of the referendum questions approved by Parliament.
- See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/cord-hires-100-data-clerks-2016-plebiscite#sthash.IBaZnTqI.dpuf
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