Cherargei roots for PM post to reward Raila after AUC flop » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 17 – Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has proposed an amendment to the Constitution to establish the position of Prime Minister.
He believes this move would be a fitting recognition of Raila Odinga’s significant contributions to promoting democracy and upholding the rule of law in Kenya.
In a statement, Cherargei emphasized that Odinga’s wealth of leadership and experience should be harnessed by the government.
“We must now fully implement the NADCO Report by amending the constitution 2010 through creating the office of the Prime Minister (PM)and allow Rt. Hon. Baba Raila Odinga to serve Kenyans in that capacity,” he stated.
The second-term Senator explained that his proposal is also a gesture of appreciation for Odinga, following his unsuccessful bid to become the African Union Commission Chairperson.
Cherargei further advocated for the implementation of the National Dialogue Committee report, which emerged from four months of talks and proposed the creation of both a Prime Minister position to promote national unity between the opposition and the government.
The NADCO was established after President William Ruto and Opposition Leader Raila Odinga agreed to engage in dialogue following the Azimio protests between March and July 2023.
Similarly, the NADCO report signed by President Ruto into law in July last year proposed the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission among other pieces of recommended legislation.
On Monday, Cherargei added that his proposal was also a way of appreciating and rewarding Odinga for his fight for rule of law and democracy in Kenya.
“We cannot allow such brilliant leadership and experience to go to waste the way the African Union did it,” he said.
The proposal follows Odinga’s loss in the bid for the African Union Commission Chairperson in the elections in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Saturday.
He began the race with an early lead in the first round with 20 votes, followed closely by Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, who secured 18 votes.
The seven-rounds exercise saw Kenya’s candidate battle through subsequent rounds to the sixth, where his votes increased to 22 as Youssouf had 26-eliminating Odinga from the race.
Youssouf then proceeded to the seventh round, where he secured the two-thirds majority with 33 votes, officially becoming the new AUC chairperson.
Conceding defeat to his Djibouti opponent Youssouf after the results were announced, Raila urged for strengthening of democracy within the continent exemplified by his concede.
“As it is, we failed. We must strengthen democracy on the African continent, and I am therefore conceding defeat. I want us to use this as an example of how to reinforce democratic values across Africa,” Odinga stated.
Odinga, who may clinch a state job, held the office of the Prime Minister from 2008 to 2013 during the late President Kibaki’s tenure.