Raila Odinga woos Cord’s Nairobi ward reps

Cord principal Raila Odinga addressing journalists after meeting with the coalition’s city ward representatives at Gracia Gardens in Nairobi on October 29, 2014. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• A recent opinion poll by Ipsos Kenya indicated that the Okoa Kenya campaign had only 38 per cent support among voters.
• The Opposition leader said the party had made Nairobi a major target in its bid for the referendum.

By SAMUEL KARANJA
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Cord leader Raila Odinga on Wednesday moved to woo Nairobi County Assembly members to support the Okoa Kenya referendum campaign.

The former Prime Minister also said the Opposition would begin verifying signatures collected from voters, before presenting them, together with a draft Bill, to the electoral commission.

Mr Odinga sought the commitment of the 64 elected and nominated Cord MCAs even as momentum for the campaigns and its support seemed to have slackened.

PESA MASHINANI

A recent opinion poll by Ipsos Kenya indicated that the Okoa Kenya campaign had only 38 per cent support among voters compared to the Pesa Mashinani referendum bid being pushed by the governors, which had 53 per cent backing.

In a meeting lasting more than three hours at Gracia Gardens on Dennis Pritt Road, Nairobi, Mr Odinga, who was with nominated Senator Elizabeth Ongoro, also sought to iron out differences among the county leaders in a bid to shore up the referendum drive.

While addressing a press conference soon after the meeting, the Opposition leader said the party had made Nairobi a major target in its bid for the referendum.

POWER GRAB

“Cord is the ruling government in Nairobi (County). We want Nairobi to be at the forefront in this process,” said Mr Odinga.

MCAs have been non-committal in their support of both the Opposition’s Okoa Kenya and the Pesa Mashinani initiative being fronted by governors.

Whereas some from Cord counties have shown support for the referendum on grounds that it will entrench devolution and good governance, their ruling Jubilee counterparts have dismissed it as a ploy to grab power through the back door.

Both Jubilee and Cord have been on a charm offensive to woo MCAs countrywide because the draft Bill containing parts of the Constitution to be amended through popular initiative must be passed by at least 24 counties before it goes to Parliament.

Mr Odinga said the Cord-affiliated Nairobi County MCAs had decided to back the referendum and had been well-educated on the requirements.

“We have had very informed dialogue and have ironed out our differences. We are going to revived the campaigns in Nairobi in the next one month.

“The MCAs have been informed by the chairman of our committee of experts, Mr Paul Mwangi, on the whole process and the requirements,” he added.

The Cord leader, however, said a rally that had been planned for Mombasa this weekend had been postponed. Other campaigns in Rift Valley and western Kenya are in the pipeline.

Mr Odinga said the signatures collected around the country would be verified in the next 10 days and later submitted to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, accompanied with a draft Bill.

However, he did not give a specific timeline when all the documents would be presented in readiness for the poll.

“I do not want to set a timeline as it is a very involving process,” said the former PM.

Asked if Cord would join hands with governors in their referendum push, Mr Odinga hinted at the possibility of a merger, but said it would not be soon.

“We’ll cross the bridge when we get there. We’re open to dialogue at an appropriate time,” he said.

Cord wants an increase in county revenue allocations pegged at 45 per cent.

The Opposition also plans to have land and security matters , as well as the issue of inclusivity in public appointments, addressed in the referendum.