MCAs clear air on claims of erroneous bill versions

Hillary Mageka @hillarymageka

Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) have distanced themselves from claims that they passed an erroneous version of the BBI Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2020.

In a press statement, the Ward Reps through their coordinating body, the County Assemblies Forum (CAF), said they only received printed copies of the draft Constitutional Amendment Bill 2020 from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). 

They added that county assemblies did not have the mandate to alter the Bill in any way.

The MCAs said that in the event that some county assemblies passed erroneous versions of the bill, the IEBC should be held singularly responsible.

“Whereas the public and the media has come out criticising the county assemblies on this particular matter, we want to state that this is directed to the wrong institutions.

The bullet should be fired directly at  IEBC and not the county assemblies,” CAF chairman Ndegwa Wahome said.

“IEBC is in the know that county assemblies have a coordinating body (CAF) and if it wished to cross-check on whether the document sent to the assemblies was the same, it would have coordinated with the CAF,” Wahome added.

Wahome, who is also the Speaker for Nyandarua County Assembly said that CAF supports all the constitutional reforms that seek to ensure that Kenya remains a united, a peaceful, inclusive, equitable, and prosperous nation devoid of ethnic antagonism and divisive politics

CAF was responding to revelations by the joint Justice and legal affairs Committee of the National Assembly and Senate that disclosed only 13 assemblies received the right document for consideration.

 The MCAs declared support for BBI saying it is the only route to strengthen devolution through increased allocation and enhancing equitable representation.