Nominated Senator Beth Mugo has discouraged calls for the introduction of a powerful Prime Minister position, as is being pushed for by some players within the political arena.
The debate has intensified since the release of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report last month, which proposed a weak Prime Minister, despite expectations that it would suggest the introduction of a powerful holder of the seat.
The calls have been made mostly by politicians allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, who founded the BBI and appointed members of its taskforce.
But Mugo on Monday warned that if created, the slot will only cause chaos, given that it will create two centres of power, the Premier and the President, resulting in unending clashes.
“Former President Mwai Kibaki and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga were constantly wrangling over critical policy issues and we don’t need that,” she said in a press briefing on Monday according to the Standard.
This was a reaction to earlier remarks by Siaya Senator James Orengo that the Prime Ministerial suggestion needs to be reviewed by the task force.
“We also suggest that the prime minister position needs to be more empowered, not as weak as proposed in the BBI,” said the senator, a close ally of Raila.
Mugo noted that she is also of the opinion that the suggestions of the BBI report should be passed through the popular Initiative.
The leaders were among a host of other senators who held a press briefing in Nairobi, demanding for changes in the constitution to strengthen the Senate.