Kakamega County Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and his Machakos counterpart Alfred Mutua have proposed two constitutional amendments to expand the executive structure of the government and another providing safe landing for presidential election losers.
The two were speaking in Kakamega during Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua’s benchmarking tour of Kakamega County. They proposed the expansion of the government executive from the current set up of the President and his Deputy, to include the President, his Deputy, the Prime Minister and his Deputies to accommodate the competing ethnic and regional interests and shrink the race from a commonly perceived do or die affair.
Addressing a public meeting at Khayega market in Shinyalu Sub County, Governor Mutua said amendments to the election laws that restrict candidates particularly those seeking the presidency from vying for an alternative seat to cushion him in case of failure denies poll losers a safe landing their contribution notwithstanding.
Governor Mutua said election losers deserve respect, noting in its current state, the law denies a presidential election loser a legal platform to articulate alternative agenda for the nation. “The constitution should be amended to expand space in the executive to include the Prime Minister and his Deputy. Also, we suggest that when one vies for the Presidency, he has to be allowed to contest for the Senate seat or MP,” he said.
Mutua who has declared an interest in the top seat said changing the law to allow presidential candidates to also contest alternative elective seats will guarantee safe landing for some candidates. Governor Oparanya echoed the remarks saying the current law had denied the country the much-needed resourcefulness of opposition leader Raila Odinga.
He noted that in spite of Raila’s contribution and support across the country, the loss in the presidential poll didn’t afford him any cushion. The two Governors reiterated their interest in the Presidency in the next general election, expressing confidence that success of devolution in their Counties would help anchor support across the country.
Governor Mutua is on a two-day bench-marking mission in Kakamega County together with a team from Machakos County government staff.
He toured four capital-intensive projects initiated by Kakamega County government including Bukhungu Stadium, the proposed County referral and teaching hospital, New Shamakhubu level 4 hospital and the infrastructure projects. He will be touring the southern part of the County on Friday.
