More counties reject Punguza Mizigo bill – KBC

The Punguza Mizigo initiative sponsored by Third way Alliance appears headed for rejection with 19 counties assemblies having already dismissed the bill.

The constitution requires that the bill get endorsement from at least 24 counties to proceed to parliament.

Narok, Garissa and Kericho counties became the latest counties to reject the punguza mizingo bill sponsored by Dr. Ekuru Aukot’s Third Way alliance that is seeking to drastically reduce government expenditure in its proposals for the constitution amendment.

Garissa county unanimously rejected the bill citing an article that seeks to reduce the number of MPs from the current 290 to 147.

In Kericho, the bill was rejected by 10 members out of 17 members present in the assembly. According to MCA’s who supported the bill, it was unfortunate that the fate of the bill was decided by 10 people out of 47 members yet residents had expressed their support for the bill during public participation meetings.

And Wednesday morning, Narok county followed suit rejecting the bill. The MCA’s argued that in as much as it is necessary to reduce the country’s wage bill, its drastic proposals would drastically peel back gains made since the promulgation of the constitution in 2010.

Uasin Gishu County Assembly is the only county that that has passed the bill. The initiative needs to secure approval from at least 24 counties to attain the constitutional threshold for a referendum.