Thika MP Alice Ng’ang’a has said that Kenya is not ready for a referendum adding that any amendment to the constitution should wait until 2017.
Speaking on Monday in Thika, Ng’ang’a acknowledged the need to amend the constitution but observed that time was not ripe to make the revisions.
“Despite few clauses of the constitution being misunderstood by Kenyans, the amendments we make should be done in a systematic manner considering the country conducted an enormous election in 2013 and the fact that we have no funds for the same,” she said.
The MP said she is not against Okoa Kenya by the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) nor and Boresha Katiba Initiative by the Jubilee Coalition which she said may be well intentioned, but insisted the two teams should wait until 2017.
The legislator said that having the referendum in 2017 together with the general elections will reduce the cost saying the Kenyan economy cannot fully finance the two independently.
“During this moment when our country has financial constraints, we should concentrate on key matters such as paying teachers, having more drugs in our hospitals and initiating different developmental projects in our country,” Ng’ang’a added.
Ng'ang'a said people should concentrate on the referendum during the campaign period saying that it is so early to concentrate on "irrelevant issues" adding that some leaders were using the referendum to create a momentum to market themselves in the political arena ahead of 2017 elections.