Opposition leader Raila Odinga is undoubtedly training his guns on a referendum to overhaul the system of leadership in the country.
In what appears to many as the hidden card for Raila’s 2022 game changer, the Opposition bigwig has been giving all the hints that the country will go for a referendum.
President Uhuru Kenyatta also seemed to be gunning for the same as he gave a hint during his recent Kisumu visit.“We said we must look at this issue of winner takes all
If that is why some people feel left out of government, we must ask ourselves, 'Is it a good thing or not',” Uhuru said.
The only way to change the current set up where those who win the top seat ‘take-it-all’ is through a plebiscite.
According to several interviews, here are three things Raila wants the referendum to change:
1. Number of Members of County Assemblies (MCAs)
Speaking in Homa Bay County on December 15 during the homecoming ceremony for Rangwe MP Lillian Gogo, Raila proposed the reduction of the number of MCAs.
He said counties are spending too much money on salaries of leaders instead of development.
2. The two-thirds gender question
The parliament has been unable to pass a bill on how the two-thirds gender will be implemented. The constitution demands that no more than two-thirds members of the house should be of the same gender.
This has not been achieved through elective positions and hence the house has to pass a bill on how the clause should be implemented to achieve the two-thirds requirement.
Speaking to the Sunday nation, Raila said Kenya is a chauvinistic society and hence need to address the question through a referendum.
3. The system of governance
Raila has been favouring the parliamentary system of governance compared to the current presidential system.
In a parliamentary system, there will be a Prime Minister who will be the head of government and an executive president.