ODM sends out MPs, Senators to drive referendum signatures collection push

Thursday, August 28, 2014 - 00:00 -- BY EUGENE OKUMU

The ODM Parliamentary Group has resolved to send MPs and senators affiliated to the party and Cord to conduct signature collection drives across the country for the party’s referendum push.

The meeting held Thursday at Orange House in Nairobi’s Lavington area and chaired by party leader Raila Odinga said that since the referendum is “a people driven process” all party members should support the process to seal the loopholes in the constitution to cushion it from “further bastardisation”.

“That the referendum plane has already taken off and is unstoppable is no longer a subject of debate. ODM legislators will join their Cord family colleagues, the Civil Society, religious leaders and Kenyans of all walks of life in drumming up the support for the referendum now and during the campaigns for the same,” the PG resolved.

The PG further resolved that MPs and senators will work closely with the Okoa Kenya secretariat to mobilise, educate and create support for the plebiscite to succeed.

ODM took issue with the perks promised to MCAs by the Jubilee government which they alleged was a gimmick to derail the referendum process.

The party said that there is no financial provision to facilitate the perks that include car grants and ward offices, and said that Jubilee should stop intimidating the MCAs.

“There is no budgetary allocation to fund the members of the county assemblies by providing car grants and ward offices being promised by the Jubilee administration. The ODM PG has resolved to talk to the MCAs in a bid to support the referendum and strengthen the devolved units so that enough resources are decentralised for their roles and responsibilities,” the party resolved.

Among other issues that the party has resolved to address with the referendum are the 45 percent county budgetary allocations to counties which ODM has said should be enshrined in the constitution and not to the discretion of the president.

ODM also resolved to support the issue of reserving 30 percent of all public employment opportunities to minorities and capping to 10 to 15 percent maximum for any single ethnic community.

“This is to apply at all levels of employment and in every sector and department. All independent contractors doing business with government will also comply,” the PG resolved.

- See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-187127/odm-sends-out-mps-senators-drive-referendum-signatures-collection-push#sthash.ZiJuro9H.dpuf