ODM PARLIAMENTARY GROUP MEETING AT ORANGE HOUSE PRESS STATEMENT

The members of the Orange Democratic Movement Parliamentary Group today met at the party headquarters at Orange House under the chairmanship of the Party Leader Rt Hon Raila Odinga to deliberate and agree on how to take the referendum campaign to the grassroots during the recess. . The meeting which was also attended by the members of the Committee of Experts of the Okoa Kenya movement led by chair Mr Paul Mwangi took members through the procedure of signature collection and briefed them on the legal requirements and how they have been addressed. Mr Mwangi clarified the issues that will be included in the Draft Referendum Bill. He also took the members through the issues that will be the contents of the Draft Bill. The members agreed as follows: 1. That as a party, we fully support the Okoa Kenya initiative to spearhead the process of the referendum to fix all the loopholes in the constitution for the good of the country and cushion it from further bastardisation. 2. That this being a people driven process members of the ODM parliamentary group will be actively in involved in the exercise of collection of signatures in their constituencies in order to achieve our 5 million plus target. 3. That the members of parliament (Senate and National Assembly) will work closely with the Okoa Kenya secretariat to mobilize educate and create the needed support for the plebiscite which is legally in motion. 4. That the referendum plane has already taken off and is unstoppable is no longer a subject of debate. ODM legislators will join their CORD family colleagues, the Civil Society, Religious Leaders and Kenyans of all walks of life in drumming up the support for the referendum now and during the campaigns for the same. 5. That ODM and CORD as proponents and defenders of Devolution the meeting resolved to fight for the strengthening of the devolved units by ensuring that the 45 % of revenue allocation to the counties is not left at the discretion of the presidency but in the constitution. The referendum will also be used to strengthen the position of the National Land Commission to stop external or political interference especially by the government. 6. That ODM and CORD also support the issues of reserving 30% all public employment opportunities to minorities and capping to 10-15% maximum for any single ethnic community. This is to apply at all levels of employment and in every sector and department. All independent contractors doing business with government also comply. 7. That there being no Budgetary Allocations to fund the member of the County Assemblies by providing car grants and ward offices is being promised by the Jubilee Administration in public forums and rallies, the ODM PG has resolved to talk to the MCAs in bid to support the referendum and strengthen the devolved units so that enough resources are decentralized for their roles and responsibilities and service to the people of Kenya. We therefroe demand that government should stop intimidating MCAs with whats not provided for in the Budget. From here the ODM Legislators will hit the road and spearhead the signatures collection exercise and talk to the electorate on why they should support the referendum as being pushed by Okoa Kenya. ------------------------------------------- Sen. Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o Secretary General.

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