Folks,

This is a sad story if Hon. Members like Ms. Shaaban can respond to REFERENDUM funding in this manner. She sounds very naive which is a pity to realize she has been in the position as a Legislature for all this time in Parliament and yet she has no idea what a REFERENDUM or Government Project as Mandated by the people means to the Majority People of Kenyan. She should not the interest of the majority before she echos that the money should instead be channelled to her Department especially when the Referendum is about to provide an about-turn life for poor people in poverty to an improved life full of expectations and challenges of the struggle to a better life for the poor.

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com

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Give us ‘Yes’ funds, says Shaban

By DAVE OPIYO and BERNARD NAMUNANE

In Summary

Minister says Sh541m could be put to better use in assisting victims of floods

The Sh541 million that Treasury plans to give to the ‘Yes’ team to campaign for the proposed constitution should be used to help Kenyans affected by floods, according to the Special Programmes minister.

With 90 people killed, 18,200 made homeless, and 2,500 homes destroyed by floods in 34 districts, the funds would come in handy in assisting those affected, said Dr Naomi Shaban said.

“Politicians who want to involve themselves in the campaigns for or against the proposed constitution should do so from their own pockets,” the minister said at a news conference in Nairobi on Friday.

“It is unfair that the ‘Yes’ team will utilise these funds while Kenyans suffer. This money should instead be diverted to my ministry,” she said.

“Taxpayers’ funds should not be wasted on such issues. The Committee of Experts should be left to do its work of civic education…politicians should not be involved at all.”

Dr Shaban said the heavy rains had also destroyed 247 primary and 28 secondary schools.

Major roads, including the Kapenguria-Lodwar, Moyale-Marsabit, Lodwar-Kakuma, and Samburu roads, had been cut off.

“Livestock has drowned and crops have been destroyed,” she said.

But faced with this destruction, the ministry was short of funds to help those affected.

She said besides catering for those affected by the rains, her ministry still had to contend with internally displaced people.

“We need at least Sh3.3 billion for IDPs and another Sh1 billion for those affected by the floods,” she said.

“We have written to Treasury and been blatantly told there is no money. We wonder why money is being diverted to the ‘Yes’ camp, yet we need it,” she said.

Separately, Treasury is trying to figure out how to raise the funds required for the ‘Yes’ campaign.

Normally, the money would come from the Justice and Constitutional Affairs ministry but it was not in the budget.

Sources said the money could come from the contingency fund, which is nearly exhausted, or a vote will be created.

Medical Services minister Anyang’ Nyong’o, a co-convener of the ‘Yes’ campaign team, said on Friday: “The government would be irresponsible not to support the campaign. The new constitution is part of Agenda Four”.

MPs in the ‘No’ team have criticised the bid to use taxpayers’ funds, with Charles Keter, Kiema Kilonzo, Cyrus Jirongo, Julius Kones, and Benjamin Langat saying it would be illegal as the funds had not been approved by Parliament.

Ironically, they saw nothing wrong with the ‘No’ team getting a share should the government decide to use the funds for the campaigns.

Narc Kenya chairperson Martha Karua has said the government should not use taxpayers’ money to fund one side.

On Saturday, the ‘Yes’ team holds a rally in Kayole, Nairobi to be attended by President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka.

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‘No’ proponents are told to speak the truth and avoid propaganda

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has asked those campaigning against the proposed constitution not to engage in war mongering in efforts to win over voters.

In a veiled reference to former President Moi, he warned against inflammatory statements that he said were likely to instigate intolerance and violence during campaigns for the constitution.

Further, the PM asked politicians to stay out of the constitutional debate to allow the will of Kenyans to prevail.

Avoid confrontation

“We don’t want retired leaders scaring people with insinuations that the proposed constitution will bring bloodshed, yet they failed to initiate the review process during their tenure,” he said.

Mr Odinga, who was addressing a gathering of academia during the launch of the book My Journey with a Jaramogi, asked leaders in the ‘No’ camp to conduct their campaigns peacefully to avoid confrontation with the opposing side.

He said the unfolding constitutional moment was unique and should not be squandered.

“It is a once in a lifetime occurrence therefore that this time round a larger portion of the political leadership is in agreement with the populace that we need to have a new constitution,” the Premier said.

He told those in attendance that the price of freedom was costly as many nationalists lost their lives and careers in the liberation struggle that stretched beyond the post-colonial era.

The book written by Odinge Odera, a long-serving speech writer of the country’s first vice president Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, captures the struggles between the forces for change and those for retention of the status quo.

Mr Odinga said the book traces the detour the country made after independence and reflects the vision that the founding fathers of the nation had before greed and ethnicity took the better part of the leadership.