THE STANDARD
KENYA
More than 24 county assemblies have voted in favour of the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020, surpassing the required constitutional threshold.
Focus now shifts to the Senate and National Assembly whose voting on the Bill is mainly ceremonial. Article 257 of the constitution requires that the Speakers of the two Houses receive certificates from the county assemblies’ speakers before the Bill is introduced in the respective Houses.
The law is, however, silent on the timelines and in the absence of the referendum law, the two Houses will have to dispense with the matter at the soonest time possible.
Whether either House approves or rejects the Bill, is inconsequential. The role of parliament, in this case, is ceremonial as the people will have the final say at the ballot.
THE STANDARD
Members of public celebrate after Kiambu County Assembly passed the BBI Bill, yesterday. [George Njunge, Standard]
The possibility of Kenya going to a referendum became clear yesterday after the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Bill reached the 24-county constitutional threshold.
In what has now been dubbed ‘Super Tuesday,’ at least 38 counties had by last evening passed the Constitution of Kenya (amendment) Bill, 2020.
Baringo is the only assembly that has so far rejected the Bill. A section of MCAs have moved to court to challenge the manner in which the exercise was conducted.
The Bill will now be transmitted to Speakers Justin Muturi (National Assembly) and Ken Lusaka (Senate).
THE STANDARD By
Moses Nyamori |
February 17th 2021 at 00:00:00 GMT +0300
Deputy President William Ruto addresses grassroot leaders from Narok County in his Karen Residence on February 16, 2021. [DPPS]
A proposed law seeking to provide guidelines for the planned June referendum has provided a fresh battle ground for rival camps in the National Assembly.
MPs allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga clashed with their colleagues in Deputy President William Ruto’s camp over the Referendum Bill, with one side pushing for a ‘yes or no’ referendum and the other calling for a multi-question referendum. Yesterday, Ruto’s allies kept up pressure to amend the National Assembly Bill No.14 of 2020 to allow for a multiple-question referendum. The House Business Committee has prioritised a Bill by the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee over one by the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) that proposed a multiple-question plebiscite.