Nairobi, Kenya, August 20, 2024 – Popular comedian and activist Eric Omondi has kick-started a national signature collection campaign aimed at initiating a referendum. The move, announced during a press briefing at Serena Hotel, seeks to reduce the number of administrative positions in Kenya.
Key Proposals for Constitutional Change
Omondi, a former Churchill Show star turned activist, advocates for cutting down the number of counties and scrapping positions like senators, women representatives, nominated MPs, and nominated MCAs. According to him, Kenya’s governance structure is overly bloated, leading to unnecessary financial strain on taxpayers.
“Kenya is overrepresented. A single citizen has a president, deputy president, governor, deputy governor, MP, senator, woman representative, MCA, regional commissioner, county commissioner, assistant county commissioner, chief, sub-chief, and village elder. That’s 16 people representing one Kenyan,” Omondi highlighted during the press conference.
Omondi Targets 1 Million Signatures in Two Weeks
The comedian turned activist revealed that his team plans to traverse the country over the next two weeks to gather the required one million signatures. This, he says, will be enough to trigger a referendum process.
“We’re going across the country to collect signatures. Reaching a million should take less than two weeks,” Omondi confidently stated.
Comparing Kenya’s Government Structure to the USA
In his address, Omondi drew comparisons between Kenya and the USA, noting that the latter, despite its significantly larger population, operates with fewer government officials. He criticized the duplication of roles within Kenya’s devolved governance system, arguing that it has led to an unnecessary financial burden on citizens.
“Taxpayers are overburdened by overlapping offices. We have a sports minister at the national level and another at the county level. The same goes for environment ministers. How many environments do we need?” Omondi quipped, illustrating the inefficiencies within the current system.
Call for Streamlined Government
Omondi emphasized that while devolution was intended to bring services closer to the people, it has instead created redundant positions that continue to drain public resources. His campaign is centered on trimming excess and ensuring better management of public funds.
The signature collection drive marks the first phase of Omondi’s broader strategy to bring constitutional changes that, according to him, will lead to a more efficient government. If successful, the petition will move to the next stage, involving the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and eventually a national referendum.