Deputy President William Ruto may after all oppose the impending constitutional changes through Building Bridges Initiative, his allies have hinted.
The BBI team is expected to handover report to President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga in October and the recommendations could lead to a referendum.
At Chesumei constituency on Friday, Ruto's camp led by Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali vowed to shoot down the BBI report should it recommend expansion of executive.
"The common principle of making laws in parliament is reducing burden from citizens. The only law I can whip MPs to back should be something similar to Punguza Mizigo.
"We have already seen Punguza Mizigo and we are waiting for BBI. If BBI is not about reduction of burden, all Kenyans including us will reject it. We must reduce the cost of living," he said.
Although the report is not yet out, the BBI team is said to be considering plan to have executive expanded as a remedy to perennial electoral crises.
Early this week, Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju hinted that Uhuru and Raila could be touring the country to popularise BBI recommendations.
“I hope the two leaders will move around the country with the document, which says this is what we proposed and this is the direction the country should go, and this is what is going now to be reduced into a Bill,” Mr Tuju said.
“ … that Bill either Parliament can pass it or if it requires a referendum then we go the way of a referendum because there are various ways of amending the Constitution — in Parliament or in a bipartisan way or through a referendum.”
Dr Ruto is also opposed to expansion of the executive but has recently steered off the referendum debate. Should he oppose BBI, he could find himself at loggerheads with Uhuru.