By Cynthia Masibo
Eric Omondi,A Kenyan Comedian And Activist, Has Initiated The Process Of Collecting Signatures To Push For A National Referendum. The Former Churchill Show Comedian Is Advocating For A Significant Reduction In The Number Of Counties And The Elimination Of Several Political Positions, Including Those Of Senators, Women Representatives, Nominated Mps, And Nominated Members Of County Assembly (Mcas). Omondi’s Argument Is Centered On The Belief That Kenya Is Overrepresented, Leading To Unnecessary Duplication Of Roles And A Burden On Taxpayers.
Speaking During A Press Conference Held At A Hotel In Nairobi, Omondi Stated, “Kenya Is Overrepresented. A Single Kenyan Is Represented By 16 People Doing The Same Thing—President, Deputy President, Governor, Deputy Governor, MP, Senator, Women Representative, MCA, Regional Commissioner, County Commissioner, Assistant County Commissioner, Chief, Sub-Chief, And Village Elder. This Redundancy Is Unsustainable.”
Omondi’s Campaign For A Referendum Aims To Address What He Perceives As An Overextension Of Leadership That Has Not Translated Into Better Services For Citizens. He Plans To Traverse The Country, Collecting The Necessary One Million Signatures Required To Initiate The Referendum Process. Confident In The Success Of This Mission, Omondi Estimates That Gathering The Signatures Will Take No More Than Two Weeks.
The Comedian-Turned-Activist Also Drew Comparisons Between Kenya And The United States, A Country With A Far Larger Population But Fewer Government Officials. “The Taxpayers Are Carrying The Burden Of Paying For Offices That Are Overlapping,” Omondi Remarked. “We Have A National Government Sports Minister And A County Government Sports Minister. We Have A National Environment Minister And A County Environment Minister. How Many Environments Do We Have?”
Omondi’s Criticism Extends To The Implementation Of Devolution, A Key Feature Of Kenya’s 2010 Constitution That Was Designed To Bring Services Closer To The People. According To Omondi, The Spirit Of Devolution Has Been Lost In A Maze Of Overlapping Roles And Bloated Administrative Structures That Fail To Deliver On Their Intended Purposes. “Devolution Was Supposed To Devolve Services, But That Has Not Been The Case,” He Noted.
His Call For A Referendum Is Likely To Ignite Debate Across The Political Spectrum. While Some May View His Initiative As A Populist Move, Others Might See It As A Necessary Step Toward Streamlining Governance And Reducing The Economic Burden On Ordinary Kenyans. The Idea Of Reducing Counties And Scrapping Certain Leadership Positions Is Not New, But Omondi’s High-Profile Push Could Bring It Back To The Forefront Of National Discourse.
Omondi’s Involvement In Activism Has Grown In Recent Years, With This Latest Move Marking A Significant Escalation In His Efforts To Influence National Policy. Whether His Call For A Referendum Will Gain Traction Remains To Be Seen, But It Is Clear That Omondi’s Voice Is Resonating With A Section Of Kenyans Frustrated With The Status Quo.
Mt Kenya Times
Is it online or manual, come for my vote