CORD to present Okoa Kenya signatures next week

The “OKOA Kenya” Secretariat will on next week present the 1.4 million signatures to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for verification to allow it proceed with the Okoa Kenya referendum to amend the constitution.

CORD leader Raila Odinga had earlier said that the presentation of the signatures will mark the end of a long and consuming process which was launched in August last year.

The coalition leaders Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang’ula decided not to wait for five million signatures as earlier planned as this will waste time and delay the referendum until after the 2017 elections.

Article 257 of the Constitution of Kenya requires that for the law to be amended by popular initiative, those seeking to amend it must first collect a million signatures of registered voters which they will hand to IEBC together with a draft Bill for verification.

Once IEBC ascertains that the initiative is supported by at least one million registered voters, IEBC shall submit the draft to each County Assembly for consideration within three months.

If the National Assembly approves the draft Bill within three months after the date the Bill to the House, the Constitution requires that the “the Speaker of the Assembly shall deliver a copy of the draft Bill jointly to the President, with a certificate that the Assembly has approved it for assent in accordance with Article 255 (4) and (5) of the Kenyan constitution.”

The Okoa Kenya Movement, which includes civil society groups and CORD, through the Bill are pushing for a raft of amendments to the Constitution which will see devolution of more money and roles to the counties, a reform of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and the strengthening of election management, land and inclusivity.

This comes even as the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to address issues of corruption which he says is rampant in all levels of government.