A section of Mt Kenya region leaders has dismissed Punguza Mizigo initiative engineered by Thirdway Alliance party leader Dr Ekuru Aukot, terming it over-ambitious.
On Thursday, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission announced that Aukot's team had managed to collect over 1 million signatures required to Kickstart the process.
Already, some counties have received the bill and they are set to discuss it before making a decision whether to pass it or not.
Kirinyaga Governor Ann Waiguru dismissed the initiative, arguing that as much as it is people-driven, it had failed to get necessary support from stakeholders.
“I think that the concept of Punguza Mizigo on reducing the burden of Wanjiku is laudable. We should focus our limited resources to development and service delivery as opposed to unnecessary recurrent expenditure such as allowances and travel. The proposals are over-ambitious and crafted in such a way that they do not get necessary support from stakeholders,” she said.
Muranga Senator Irungu Kang'ata dismissed the amendment proposals, saying they could die on arrival if the political bigwigs — President Uhuru Kenyatta, Deputy President Wiliam Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga — do not endorse them.
For Kandara MP Alice Wahome, the proposal had failed to address women leadership, adding that they will not accept suggestions that women are a burden to Kenya.
“These proposals do not consider women in their envisaged plan. There is no way we are going to accept that women of this country are the burden,” she said.
On the contrary, Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen has backed the proposals, arguing that should try country go to the referendum, then Punguza Mizigo initiative will carry the day.
“Those who have been frowning on the idea of a referendum must know that it is no longer a laughing matter,” he said. “This is the only proposal that may drive the country to a referendum before the 2022 general election,” he said.
For Aukot, who unsuccessfully ran for the presidency in 2017, he has consulted IEBC over the matter and says he's confident the process will be successful.
“We sat down and planned everything to the end. Before we even thought of starting to collect signatures, we met officers from the IEBC who took us through all the processes that we will have to follow for our success,” Aukot said on Friday.