Alfred Mutua Weighs in on Referendum Debate

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua with the former prime minister Raila Odinga. Photo/File

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has called on the Building Bridges Initiative BBI to first consider the people’s opinions before making its final recommendations.

Speaking on KTN Tv Point Blank show on Wednesday evening, the Machakos governor said BBI’s survival will only depend on how the team will formulate its final findings.

Governor Mutua during Point Blank show at KTN

He expressed hopes the initiative was going to work if it will only be based on the views of the people and not the leader’s views.

Mutua maintained that if the bill was only meant for creating positions for some people, then it was going to fail.

“If BBI listens to people’s opinions then it may work, but if they shove it down our throats because it creates opportunities for some people then it will fail,” stated Mutua.

Mutua added that if the bill was going to create ways to cut the public wage bill, then it had higher chances of absorbing Ekuru Aukot’s Punguza Mizigo Initiative which is currently facing obstacles in many counties.

“If the BBI sets proper ways to cut waste, it can absorb the Punguza Mizigo bill” he added.

He poked holes into Aukot’s initiative saying he was against a one-term,  7-year presidency. According to him, the same would breed dictators in the country since the term will be so long for a serving president.

According to the former government spokesman, the referendum should not be set on one question of Yes and No, since that, he said will divide the country along two lines.

However, he seconded the bill saying BBI was not dynasty politics. “I believe in a system where there is not a strong prime minister and a strong president. One has to be stronger than the other” he stated

Mutua’s remarks came at a time when some of the MPs in Jubilee who initially opposed have endorsed the BBI bill. Aden Duale who has been ambivalent on the referendum through the BBI has so far thrown his weight behind the bill saying the BBI is anchored in law and can have its report tabled in Parliament for discussion.

“Together with Minority Leader John Mbadi, we tabled a motion on the BBI and therefore the initiative is well constituted and can have its report received by Parliament,” said Nduale recently.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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