The March 9th handshake was received with mixed emotions among Kenyans and Politicians in general. As some welcomed it, some became very weary and cautious of it. Those that were cautious of the handshake saw it as a plan to have one of their own locked out of the Presidency. Kenyans and politicians allied to Deputy President William Ruto have become restless ever since President Kenyatta and Raila Odinga decided to bury the hatchet with Ruto’s camp claiming that a back-door plan might be drawn to render Ruto useless come 2022.
Succession politics aside, the handshake led to the formation of a building bridges initiative team that was tasked with getting views from different stakeholders and Kenyans in a bid at coming up with a comprehensive report that will be used in coming up with Permanent solutions to the different problems facing Kenyans with Key among them being the ever occurring electoral malpractices and tension after almost all elections in the last decade.
ODM, a major part of the handshake deal through it’s Party leader Raila Odinga has now made radical recommendations to the handshake team, including a single seven-year term for the next head of state and a Parliament smaller by half.
The proposals that would trigger a referendum are likely to be the next battlefront between ODM leader Raila Odinga and his political nemesis, Deputy President William Ruto.
Raila’s party also proposes a parliamentary system of government and a three-tier government structure with 14 regional blocs.
The opposition outfit also wants the Directorate of Criminal Investigations delinked from the command of the national police and made a constitutional agency.
It wants the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission abolished.
In sweeping changes, the Orange Party proposes drastically slashing the size of the bicameral Parliament from 416 to 208 lawmakers. It wants the Senate empowered as the Upper House. Nominated seats would be abolished in both houses.
The head of state would be barred from seeking reelection
The Building Bridges task force has started public hearings across the country and its final report could alter the country’s political terrain ahead of the 2022 General Election.
“We wish to reiterate that the document remains a discussion paper to stimulate conversation that will lead to the formulation of a national ODM Party position that will be presented to the BBI Task Force at the appropriate time,” Secretary General Edwin Sifuna said after the document leaked.
According to ODM, MPs will have the powers to elect the President who will then appoint the Prime Minister.
“This will remove focus on the presidency that has become the trophy of ethnic competition,” the internal document reads.
According to the proposal, the 14 regional blocs, each made of several counties, will elect a Regional Premier and deputy.
In April, Ruto had trashed the proposal backed by many governors who believe the changes would be a major assault on their current powers.
“Rearranging devolution cannot be by creating another layer. It should be by taking the counties to the wards. We cannot take devolution upwards. [It should be taken] downwards. That is where devolution has to go and we don’t have to change the Constitution for that,” Ruto said
Do you support the recommendations made by ODM?