STRONGER COUNTIES FOR EQUITABLE NATION:
Remarks of the Rt. Hon Raila Odinga at the CORD General Assembly Meeting on Referendum; September 24, 2014.
#OkoaKenya
Our constitution opens with five powerful words: We, the People of Kenya.
I get the feeling not all of us appreciate the importance of these words. We, the People of Kenya. These five words in the preamble identify who is responsible for promulgating and upholding the foundations of the Kenya Constitution 2010.
Our intent in giving ourselves the Constitution, is laid out in the remainder of the preamble thus:
ACKNOWLEDGING the supremacy of the Almighty God:
HONOURING those who heroically struggled to bring freedom and justice to our land:
RECOGNISING the aspirations of all Kenyans for a government based on the essential values of human rights, equality, freedom, democracy, social justice and the rule of law:
EXERCISING our sovereign and inalienable right to determine the form of governance of our country and having participated fully in the making of this Constitution...
ADOPT, ENACT and give this Constitution to ourselves and to our future generations.
In the past few months, we have gone around the country, we shall continue to go around the country, for the very reason we've gathered here today: to push to change our constitution in our capacity as the people of Kenya.
The constitution of Kenya 2010 allows for a referendum to amend it.
The constitution says the referendum can be through a parliamentary route or a popular initiative. We, the people, have chosen the route of popular initiative.
In providing for amendments, the constitution of Kenya 2010 does not label any such effort as an attempt to overthrow or to slow down the government or take over power through the back door.
We commit no crime in seeking to change the constitution.
This is not a contest between Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga.
This is not a test of might or popularity between CORD and Jubilee.
Nor is it an attempt to revive or to end political careers.
It is not a battle for short term gains. We are in it for the long haul and for our country.
We are not in this because we love our government less. We are in this because we love Kenya more. And we are in it within the law for we believe in the rule of law.
So ladies and gentlemen, do not be afraid, do not feel guilty, and do not be apologetic over this journey. We, the people, are acting within the law, in the best interest of our country.
We expect the government to facilitate, not frustrate our efforts.
Many battles have been fought from this venue. At this very venue, Dr Crispin Odhiambo Mbai put the case like nobody ever did on why we need to devolve power and resources.
They vilified him. They trailed him. Eventually, they killed him. But devolution came to be.
And Kenya is a much better place today because of devolution.
In Kenya, you know you are into something big and something good when the establishment fights you viciously and gets personal. So when they vilify and stalk you, when they impute bad intentions on your part today and go all out to tarnish your standing,
it is because you have hit where it matters.
We are out to strengthen Devolution because we have seen what it can do what ails it. We have seen what County governments have done with so little money in such a short time.
I will give a few quick and random examples.
In MARSABIT, the National Government drilled only about 20 boreholes in the last 50 years.
The county government has drilled 20 boreholes in one year. Livestock is the mainstay of Marsabit.
But for 50 years, the region never built a slaughter house. Today, after one year of Devolution, Marsabit is set to perform a ground breaking ceremony for a Modern Slaughter house.
In SIAYA, there were only 3 government tractors when the County government took over in 2013.
In one year, the County Government has bought 7 tractors and hired 30. Siaya harvested 3,300 bags of maize.
Within a STRONGER COUNTIES FOR EQUITABLE NATION:
Remarks of the Rt. Hon Raila Odinga at the CORD General Assembly Meeting on Referendum; September 24, 2014.
Our constitution opens with five powerful words: We, the People of Kenya.
I get the feeling not all of us appreciate the importance of these words. We, the People of Kenya. These five words in the preamble identify who is responsible for promulgating and upholding the foundations of the Kenya Constitution 2010.
Our intent in giving ourselves the Constitution, is laid out in the remainder of the preamble thus:
ACKNOWLEDGING the supremacy of the Almighty God:
HONOURING those who heroically struggled to bring freedom and justice to our land:
RECOGNISING the aspirations of all Kenyans for a government based on the essential values of human rights, equality, freedom, democracy, social justice and the rule of law:
EXERCISING our sovereign and inalienable right to determine the form of governance of our country and having participated fully in the making of this Constitution...
ADOPT, ENACT and give this Constitution to ourselves and to our future generations.
In the past few months, we have gone around the country, we shall continue to go around the country, for the very reason we've gathered here today: to push to change our constitution in our capacity as the people of Kenya.
The constitution of Kenya 2010 allows for a referendum to amend it.
The constitution says the referendum can be through a parliamentary route or a popular initiative. We, the people, have chosen the route of popular initiative.
In providing for amendments, the constitution of Kenya 2010 does not label any such effort as an attempt to overthrow or to slow down the government or take over power through the back door.
We commit no crime in seeking to change the constitution.
This is not a contest between Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga.
This is not a test of might or popularity between CORD and Jubilee.
Nor is it an attempt to revive or to end political careers.
It is not a battle for short term gains. We are in it for the long haul and for our country.
We are not in this because we love our government less. We are in this because we love Kenya more. And we are in it within the law for we believe in the rule of law.
So ladies and gentlemen, do not be afraid, do not feel guilty, and do not be apologetic over this journey. We, the people, are acting within the law, in the best interest of our country.
We expect the government to facilitate, not frustrate our efforts.
Many battles have been fought from this venue. At this very venue, Dr Crispin Odhiambo Mbai put the case like nobody ever did on why we need to devolve power and resources.
They vilified him. They trailed him. Eventually, they killed him. But devolution came to be.
And Kenya is a much better place today because of devolution.
In Kenya, you know you are into something big and something good when the establishment fights you viciously and gets personal. So when they vilify and stalk you, when they impute bad intentions on your part today and go all out to tarnish your standing,
it is because you have hit where it matters.
We are out to strengthen Devolution because we have seen what it can do what ails it. We have seen what County governments have done with so little money in such a short time.
I will give a few quick and random examples.
In MARSABIT, the National Government drilled only about 20 boreholes in the last 50 years.
The county government has drilled 20 boreholes in one year.
Livestock is the mainstay of Marsabit.
But for 50 years, the region never built a slaughter house. Today, after one year of Devolution, Marsabit is set to perform a ground breaking ceremony for a Modern Slaughter house.
In SIAYA, there were only 3 government tractors when the County government took over in 2013.
In one year, the County Government has bought 7 tractors and hired 30. Siaya harvested 3,300 bags of maize.
Within a year, the County government put 5,000 hectares under mechanization.
This year they expect 880,000 bags.
Kisii Hospital has never had a dialysis unit since it was built in 1917.
One year after devolution, a dialysis unit is being set up by the County government.
The mortuary capacity that never exceeded 20 is expanding into 100.
The hospital is now a teaching and referral facility and a 150 bed capacity ward is coming up.
MOMBASA County mobilized 27 cars within months of taking office for police to ensure security.
At no one time in 50 years did the county manage that number of vehicles.
Last month, we were treated to the Mombasa Cultural Festival. This is a routine culture among resort and tourism cities around the world to attract visitors.
The County of Mombasa has been let down on security by an incompetent and uncaring national government.
Mombasa is set to unveil the first water desalination plant by 2016.
In Wajir, they have launched the first tarmac road-25 kilometres--since independence.
Of course these county governments are not perfect.
But then, no one is. For months, we have been asking the national government to account for the Sh15 billion that was stolen from OP. No one is talking.
When counties are strong, we have an economy firing from all cylinders. That means jobs and opportunities for youth and good living for all.
That is why we are demanding that 45 per cent of National Revenue must go to the counties to enable them carry out functions that are commensurate with this allocation including Ward development.
We want an end to the deliberate confusion around the Provincial Administration.
The Constitution requires that it be restructured to fit into devolved system. The government is busy renaming and strengthening that system. We want state departments and parastatals whose functions were fully or partially devolved to release to the counties all the funds they are holding illegally in Nairobi.
Today, the National Government is holding up to KSH 120 billion for functions already devolved.
Continuous withholding of these funds is a major source of several crises affecting the counties.
Money for class D roads which are the responsibility of County governments has not been released, nor have the roads been gazetted to formally revert to counties.
We recognize that the country’s foreign policy is role national government. However, Counties are now major centres of investment, trade and other critical sectors of economy.
We feel their voices should be heard in determining the core foreign policy direction of the country. The best scenario would have been a bipartisan approach. That would have given us a chance to debate and resolve even non referendum issues, like the relationship between the legislature and the Executive.
There are a number of areas we have gone silent on. We have gone silent on the national values and principles of governance which include integrity and transparency.
Nobody is talking about Chapter Six of the Constitution which deals with Leadership and Integrity.
There is also concern about the exclusion of MPs and Senators from appointment as Cabinet ministers (or secretaries). MPs feel they are stuck in a dead-end job with no chance of rising unless one runs for President. They can’t be ministers however long they get elected.
We missed that chance because they bipartisan approach was never given a chance. I believe it is not too late.
Is it too early for a referendum to amend the constitution?
We say No. The test is not the timing but rather the necessity.
In the USA, the Constitution came into operation on 4th March 1789 and the First Amendment was sent to the States for ratification on September 25, 1789, barely six months later.
In fact negotiations for amendment were already underway even before the Constitution itself had been fully ratified.
The South African Constitution, from which ours borrows heavily, was first amended on 28th August 1997, also barely six month since it came into operation on 4th February 1997.
In its seventeen years of existence, the South African Constitution has been amended seventeen times.
They will tell you Americans did not go to the referendum.
Yes they did not go to the referendum but that was because the government opted for dialogue.
We, the People, must now roll our sleeves from here and reach every corner of our country, for the sake of our children and grandchildren.
Thank You.
29
, the County government put 5,000 hectares under mechanization. This year they expect 880,000 bags.
Kisii Hospital has never had a dialysis unit since it was built in 1917.
One year after devolution, a dialysis unit is being set up by the County government.
The mortuary capacity that never exceeded 20 is expanding into 100.
The hospital is now a teaching and referral facility and a 150 bed capacity ward is coming up.
MOMBASA County mobilized 27 cars within months of taking office for police to ensure security.
At no one time in 50 years did the county manage that number of vehicles.
Last month, we were treated to the Mombasa Cultural Festival. This is a routine culture among resort and tourism cities around the world to attract visitors.
The County of Mombasa has been let down on security by an incompetent and uncaring national government.
Mombasa is set to unveil the first water desalination plant by 2016.
In Wajir, they have launched the first tarmac road-25 kilometres--since independence.
Of course these county governments are not perfect.
But then, no one is. For months, we have been asking the national government to account for the Sh15 billion that was stolen from OP. No one is talking.
When counties are strong, we have an economy firing from all cylinders. That means jobs and opportunities for youth and good living for all.
That is why we are demanding that 45 per cent of National Revenue must go to the counties to enable them carry out functions that are commensurate with this allocation including Ward development.
We want an end to the deliberate confusion around the Provincial Administration.
The Constitution requires that it be restructured to fit into devolved system. The government is busy renaming and strengthening that system. We want state departments and parastatals whose functions were fully or partially devolved to release to the counties all the funds they are holding illegally in Nairobi.
Today, the National Government is holding up to KSH 120 billion for functions already devolved.
Continuous withholding of these funds is a major source of several crises affecting the counties.
Money for class D roads which are the responsibility of County governments has not been released, nor have the roads been gazetted to formally revert to counties.
We recognize that the country’s foreign policy is role national government. However, Counties are now major centres of investment, trade and other critical sectors of economy.
We feel their voices should be heard in determining the core foreign policy direction of the country. The best scenario would have been a bipartisan approach. That would have given us a chance to debate and resolve even non referendum issues, like the relationship between the legislature and the Executive.
There are a number of areas we have gone silent on. We have gone silent on the national values and principles of governance which include integrity and transparency.
Nobody is talking about Chapter Six of the Constitution which deals with Leadership and Integrity.
There is also concern about the exclusion of MPs and Senators from appointment as Cabinet ministers (or secretaries). MPs feel they are stuck in a dead-end job with no chance of rising unless one runs for President. They can’t be ministers however long they get elected.
We missed that chance because they bipartisan approach was never given a chance. I believe it is not too late.
Is it too early for a referendum to amend the constitution?
We say No. The test is not the timing but rather the necessity.
In the USA, the Constitution came into operation on 4th March 1789 and the First Amendment was sent to the States for ratification on September 25, 1789, barely six months later.
In fact negotiations for amendment were already underway even before the Constitution itself had been fully ratified.
The South African Constitution, from which ours borrows heavily, was first amended on 28th August 1997, also barely six month since it came into operation on 4th February 1997.
In its seventeen years of existence, the South African Constitution has been amended seventeen times.
They will tell you Americans did not go to the referendum.
Yes they did not go to the referendum but that was because the government opted for dialogue.
We, the People, must now roll our sleeves from here and reach every corner of our country, for the sake of our children and grandchildren.
Thank You
