A group of Jubilee MPs has said it will build consensus with Cord’s Okoa Kenya initiative to have the referendum conducted during the 2017 general election.
The MPs, led by Tiaty’s Asman Kamama, wantย the constitution amended for counties to get at least 46 per cent funding and the CDF doubled.
“We will try to collect three million signatures within the shortest time possible to force a referendum,” Kamama said during a briefing at Parliament buildings on Thursday.
The Oppositionย collected 1.4million signaturesย for the initiative and submitted them on November 9 to the IEBC, which said it will give feedback in three months.
Kamama said the MPs, who announced plans forย the ‘Boresha Katiba’ intiative,ย will work with the Opposition in harmonising a draft for a single referendum drive during the next poll.
They will organise a special kitty for the ward development fund that will be administered by MCA’s at the county level, he said, adding 125 legislators support the initiative.
The MPsย furtherย proposed the death penalty for for drug dealers and corruption officials, a day after the EACC boss said Kenya needs a ‘big fish’ conviction.
On Wednesday, EACC boss Halakhe Waqo said more than 300 cases involving alleged corruption by officials are currently pending in Kenya’s courts as a result of the work of his commission.
He said theย public wants to see a “big fish” convicted. “If you have a government minister, who else are you looking for? As far as I am concerned, you can’t talk of a bigger fish,” he said
Kamamaย also proposed Parliament appoints CSs whom he saidย need insights on connecting with the people.
The constitution states that the President shall nominate and, with the approval of the National Assembly, appoint cabinet secretaries.
It says a CS shall not be an MP, and assumes office by by swearing faithfulness to Kenya and its people and obedience to the constitution.
Cabinet secretaries “may resign by delivering a written statement of resignation to the President”, the constitution also says.
Kamama was accompanied by MPs including Gideon Konchella (Kilgoris), Kabando wa Kabando (Mukurweini), Joseph Samal (Isiolo North).
