National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale has announced plans to crush Third Way Alliance Ekuru Aukot's constitutional amendment push dubbed 'Punguza Mizigo'.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) on Thursday gave a green light after Aukot produced more than the required one million signatures.
Duale on Friday took issues with the Punguza Mzigo referendum bid for its advocacy in reducing elective seats, which Aukot's bill says will reduce the wage bill, resulting in a lighter tax burden on the Kenyan taxpayer.
He said that the fact that the bill seeks to reduce the number of seats makes it unfavourable, announcing plans to rally the 47 county assemblies against it.
“By attempting to cut on the representation of the people, the Punguza Mizigo Bill has begun its journey to the funeral at the County Assemblies, we will lobby them to reject in total,” said the Garissa Town MP.
This is with the consideration that the only remaining task for Aukot is to get the support of 24 county assemblies, after which he won't need parliament's backing to realise a referendum.
On his side, Wiper Democratic Movement (WDM) also criticized the push, noting that it will only take Kenyans' attention away from the real issues they are currently dealing with.
He stressed on the need for the nation to focus on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) and get whatever changes they need through the BBI, terming Aukot's push a distraction.
"We need to remain focused, the initiative might distract us from the real changes we are yearning through the BBI,” Kalonzo said.