‘a waste of time’

Gatundu South member of Parliament Moses Kuria has told Kenyans to reject the push for a referendum to change the Constitution.

In a thinly veiled attack on the opposition, Mr Kuria claimed on Sunday that those agitating for the changes want more seats created for the rich few at the expense of the majority, who are struggling to survive.

He stressed that Kenyans were facing serious financial challenges and that the money that would be used for the referendum should be redirected to reforms in the agriculture sector.

“Coffee, tea and milk prices have fallen drastically and farmers are getting peanuts for their deliveries,” he said at Kagio Primary School in Kirinyaga County, during a fundraiser in aid of musicians from different parts of the country.

“Farmers are disillusioned and some may give up if urgent measures are not taken.”

Mr Kuria said there was no need to change the law amid a financial crisis.

“Kenya’s budget has a deficit of Sh1 trillion yet selfish politicians are insisting on changes. Kenyans should say no,” he said.

He added, however, that the few problematic clauses in the Constitution should be addressed by Parliament.

“A sections of the Constitution are contentious but we do not need a referendum to change them. It will be a waste of time and resources to go for a referendum. I’m totally opposed to it,” he said.

On the Building Bridges Initiative, Mr Kuria said scores of Kenyans did not know what it was so proper education was necessary.

“The report of the BBI should be made public urgently so that the people can decide on it. Unfortunately, when I say the BBI is strange to the people, I’m branded an inciter,” he said.

The people shouted ‘no’ when he asked if they would support the initiative.

Mr Kuria lashed out at Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru for joining former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s political camp.

On November 3, Ms Waiguru campaigned in Kibra, Nairobi, with Mr Odinga, for ODM’s parliamentary candidate Imran Okoth, ahead of the by-election that took place on November 7.

Mr Kuria said the governor had lost direction and would soon become politically irrelevant.

“She has committed political suicide as the Mt Kenya region is opposed to Mr Odinga’s style of politics. Residents from the region are also not happy with what Ms Waiguru did,” he stated.

But Kirinyaga Deputy Governor Peter Ndambiri defended his boss saying she was still popular in the area.

Briefing the press later, Mr Ndambiri told Mr Kuria to leave Ms Waiguru alone and concentrate on solving his constituency’s problems.

“The governor knows what she is doing. Mr Kuria should stop lecturing to her on politics,” he said.

At the function earlier, Mr Ndambiri expressed concerns that the millions of shillings in Youth Enterprise Fund were lying idle in banks because local youths were not making applications.

“Young people from the area are not interested in doing business. They are idling around yet there is money for them,” he lamented, noting they were using Sh5 million monthly compared to Meru’s Sh40 million.

“Youths from Meru are obtaining the cash and investing it in income-generating projects. Our youths are not as interested in getting the cash. It is very sad,” he said.