Governors want law restricting their term to 10 years removed allowing them contest elections as many times as they wish.
According to article 180 (7) of the 2010 Constitution a person shall not hold office for more than two terms, whether as a county governor or a deputy county governor.
Already the governors have set up a special committee to prepare for a possible referendum. A draft document by the committee proposes that county bosses be allowed to contest and run office beyond the ten-year limit. Governors argue that limiting them to two five-year term is unfair and discriminatory claiming that terms for other elective positions such parliamentary, county assembly, and senatorial are not restricted. The draft proposal is in its preliminary stages.
The committee is co-chaired by Makueni Governor prof Kivutha Kibwana and his Meru counterpart Kiraitu Murungi. So far, the committee has had only one sitting since it was formed in October 2018. However, in the next two weeks, it is expected to hold its second meeting to firm up its proposals.
Commenting on the matter, Council of Governors (CoG) chairman Wycliffe Oparanya yesterday said is yet to see the report. ‘When it is presented to me i will call my colleagues to a retreat so that we can take a common position’, he added.
Once the committee (comprising eleven members) completes drafting proposals it will hand them over to the Building Bridges team.
The CoG had earlier backed referendum calls on condition that the amendments would increase counties’ allocation cash. The committee is proposing that counties’ allocation be increased from current 15 per cent to at least 45 per cent based on the current budget. Currently, the national government allocates 15 percent of the audited budget to the counties.
The members of the special committee include Anyang’ Nyong’o (Kisumu), Joyce Laboso, (Bomet), Charity Ngilu (Kitui), Amason Kingi (Kilifi), Paul Chepkwony (Kericho), Francis Kimemia (Nyandarua), Ali Roba (Mandera), Oparanya (Kakamega) and Cornel Rasanga (Siaya).
