An American agreement

After a decade of arguments over sharing power at the centre, the politicians now agree they want a US-style presidential system

Kenyans are puzzled by the sudden agreement on the role of the presidency and devolution of power by 26 members of the Parliamentary Select Committee. The PSC was on a retreat in Naivasha to debate the intricacies of constitutional reform. Until now, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) stalwarts such as Raila Odinga and William Ruto have insisted that the post of Prime Minister be entrenched in the constitution. Negotiators from President Mwai Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU), however, have opposed devolution and decentralisation as a form of ‘majimboism’, which they saw as a means to legitimise the eviction of Kikuyu and others from the Rift Valley.

Article Tags:
Raila Odinga, William Ruto, Mwai Kibaki, Abdikadir Mohammed, Martha Karua, Uhuru Kenyatta, Moses Wetang’ula

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