Kenyan electoral body, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), has cleared the constitutional amendment draft bill paving way for probable law change should the bill sail through to referendum.
IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati announced on Tuesday, January 26, that the commission had successfully verified signatures in support for the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2020. Mr Chebukati said the bill was supported by 1.14 million Kenyans and it would be sent to the 47 county assemblies for debate.
“The Commission, through interim verification of data captured as of January 19, 2021, has confirmed and is satisfied that the Initiative has been supported by 1,140,845 registered voters,” Chebukati said.
As stipulated in the Kenyan law, the bill requires the backing of at least 24 counties which is the common majority. It will then head to the National Assembly and the Senate and shall be adopted upon being endorsed by the majority and subsequent presidential assent.
“In conformity with Article 257(6), you are required to submit the decisions of your County Assembly to the Speakers of the National Assembly and the Senate within three months,” IEBC said.
In a bid to fight the allegations of cheating and cooking signatures, the IEBC was recently forced to urge the public to confirm if their details were erroneously used to marshal numbers and meet the threshold for law change.
BBI politics
The bill—captured under the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) that brought ceasefire between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga—proposes structural changes of governance.
It proposes the introduction of a prime minister position and two deputies-a structure that existed during the coalition government between Mr Odinga and former President Mwai Kibaki.
Other changes proposed in the bill include the introduction of leader of opposition seat in parliament, judiciary ombudsman to check the on the Judiciary, increase of political positions among many others.
The BBI bill has stirred political passions in Kenya, with the country’s deputy president William Ruto coming up in the open to oppose it; despite President Kenyatta being one of the co-founder.
Ruto who has made his bid for the top seat in 2022 public has opposed the BBI arguing that the initiative is a waste of public resources. The DP argued that the plebiscite be based on multiple choice questions so that Kenyans can vote on myriad of issues. He is opposed to the introduction of the prime minister position which he said will not solve the ‘winner-take-all’ puzzle.
But on the other side, Mr Odinga has remained critical of Ruto’s political moves accusing him of trying to sabotage the process and double speaking. After the team of experts had worked on the bill, Raila challenged Ruto to declare his stand and avoid being lukewarm.
Ironically, Kenya’s Attorney General Paul Kihara, a close ally of President Kenyatta recently gave an advisory supporting multiple questions for the referendum. Raila and Ruto—friends turned foes—are the two contenders for the country’s top seat come 2022.