The Council for Professionals of Kenya (CPK) has suggested amendments to the Constitution that will see the run-up of presidential election and his/her running-mate join the Senate as Specially Elected Senators in a bid to uphold inclusivity in the government.
Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi, the chairman to CPK and former Budalangi Member of Parliament Ababu Namwamba said that the 2010 Constitution overlooked the issue of recognising the runner-up in the General Election, despite having millions of followers.
He attributed volatility rife in Kenyan elections to the principle of winner takes it all while the losers lose it all, hence the feeling of some people being left out.
“We need to have a fresh re-look at the question of winner-takes-all in order to strengthen and secure our democracy,” said Namwamba. “In the coming weeks, the Council will be unveiling its proposal blueprint on this matter. One of the proposals is to consolidate our opposition by creating an empowered position of the official leader of opposition, a shadow cabinet and support services to the institutions as part of our innovations,” said Namwamba.
In the proposal, CPK also intends to copy the same to the counties, where the runner-up in the gubernatorial race will take up the position of official opposition leader as well as become a specially elected Member of County Assembly together with his/her running mate.
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This comes at the wake of historic repeat elections in the country after the first one was annulled by the Supreme Court of Kenya on the basis of illegalities and irregularities committed by the IEBC. The same court however upheld October repeat polls on the basis that the petition filed challenging the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto on the grounds that the case lacked merit.
On its part, the CPK told off the opposition for terming the second Supreme Court ruling as lacking constitutional legitimacy.
“The narrative that the Supreme Court’s ruling on the 26th October 2017 Presidential election only bestows legal legitimacy and not political legitimacy is cheap, baseless, unfounded, misleading and lacks merit and is lame in content. All business in Kenya is either legal and legitimate or it is not. The language of the so called ‘political legitimacy’ reflects both intellectual dishonesty and immaturity. As our nation embarks on the healing process, we call upon both winners and losers to recommit to the principles of democracy and Kenyan nationhood,” Namwamba added.
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The body also congratulated President Uhuru and his deputy for winning the fresh election, and promised to work hand-in-hand with the government to enhance democracy.
“Kenya has proven the resilience of its democracy and institutions. We are a bona fide democracy! We are ready to confront our foes of our people: disease, ignorance, poverty and anarchy,” he concluded.
Present during the event included former Senate Speaker Ekwe Ethuro, Chief Executive of the Africa Policy Institute Prof Peter Kagwanja, former Garsen MP Danson Mungatana, former Meru Women Representative Florence Kajuju, Kenyatta University lecturer Tom Namwamba, former Nyeri Town MP Priscilla Nyokabi, Kenya Ethical and Legal Issues Network deputy chief executive Sandra Ochola and Bishop Jackson Kosgei of the Worldwide Gospel Church.
