NARC Kenya Leader Martha Karua Endorses Push for Referendum

NARC Kenya party leader Martha Karua has become the latest leader to join referendum bandwagon.

Karua, who spoke during the launch of Nyeri County Assembly Women Association at a hotel in Nyeri, termed as necessary plans to introduce amendments to the Constitution.

Karua her weight behind the proposed changes to the Constitution, noting that it should also highlight the issue of gender equality that has not been realized under the current dispensation.

Karua further endorsed proposal to turn the 47 counties into constituencies for purposes of election to the National Assembly and Senate with each having a female and a male Member of Parliament.

She also wants the law amended to state that where a presidential candidate is male, the running mate must be a woman and vice versa.

“As women we should take advantage of push for law review and we should also demand for the constitution to be amended to include, if a presidential candidate is a man the running mate should be a woman and vice versa,” she said at the function.

At the same time, Karua said Kenyans must be be allowed to decide what issues should be addressed by the referendum.

“The Constitution was made for Kenyans not Kenyans for the Constitution, we can sit down negotiate as Kenyans and check the areas we must change,” she noted

She also called for reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and a review of budget allocated for general elections.

“This is an opportunity to put things right by cutting the budget allocated to IEBC. Elections in Kenya are expensive than developing countries in the world,” she said.