Former deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has suffered a political blow after it emerged that President William Ruto and ODM leader Raila Odinga are quietly working on far-reaching constitutional changes. Nominated MP Jackson Kosgei on Tuesday confirmed that talks between the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) are leaning towards amending Kenya’s governance structure.
In a radio interview, Kosgei revealed that the ongoing dialogue between the two parties will likely culminate in a referendum. “Absolutely yes, we are looking at such changes; we are looking at referendums, and such,” he said, when pressed on whether Kenyans should expect constitutional reforms.
The MP explained that the key focus is on leadership and governance, particularly the structure of the executive. Proposals under discussion include expanding the executive or shifting from a purely presidential system to a parliamentary or hybrid model. “We are asking ourselves, as leaders and Kenyans, do we need to expand the executive and change it from a pure presidential system, or add such kinds of changes?” Kosgei posed.
The potential reforms mirror aspects of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), which sought to broaden the executive before it was declared unconstitutional by the courts in 2021.
Kosgei also hinted at changes to devolution laws, saying leaders want to guarantee counties adequate budget allocations while also evaluating whether the current system should be strengthened or scaled back. “We want to make sure that every county is able to get sufficient funding during the budget allocation, and these are changes which must be done,” he added.
His remarks come just a day after UDA and ODM held their first-ever joint parliamentary group meeting, where they resolved to fast-track the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report and the 10-point reform agenda signed earlier this year.
The revelation is likely to unsettle Gachagua, who has been at odds with Ruto over succession politics and Mt Kenya’s place in government. Meanwhile, some UDA leaders led by Senator Samson Cherargei have also floated constitutional amendments to extend presidential term limits further fueling speculation of an impending referendum.
