PRESS STATEMENT BY THE OKOA KENYA COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS.
We share with Kenyans the progress we have made on our referendum quest and to confirm that the launch of the draft bill shall take place as scheduled on 18th February at 9.00 AM at The Bomas of Kenya.
We have already sent invitations to all elected representatives in Kenya across the political divide. This is a national project and not a party agenda. After 18 February, the fate of the bill will be with the political processes that have been set out in Article 257 of the Constitution of Kenya. These processes will involve all members of county assemblies, members of the National Assembly and members of the Senate.
The preparation of a draft bill is one of the two critical steps towards the commencement of the process to amend the Constitution through popular initiative. The second step is the preparation of the endorsement by one million registered voters. This latter step is now in the process of verification of signatures and we hope to complete this exercise early next month.
Everything going smoothly we should have the popular initiative on the road by end of March.
In the meantime, we would like to appeal to the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission to finalize its probe on the IEBC regarding the corruption scandal now popularly being referred to as the “chicken” scandal.
We at Okoa Kenya have an interest in the integrity of the commission as it is upon it that the Constitution has placed the obligation to oversee conduct of the popular initiative. Further, there are substantial amendments to the constitution and operations of IEBC that have been proposed in the draft Bill that will be launched on 18th.
It is important that Kenyans have absolute faith in the integrity of the commission as it carries out this exercise.
DATED 15TH FEBRUARY 2015.
PAUL MWANGI – CHAIRMAN
ANTHONY OLUOCH – MEMBER
MARY KAKUVI – MEMBER