Amos Kareithi
24 September 2005
Nairobi — Residents of Othaya Constituency in Nyeri District should start shopping for President Kibaki's successor in the 2007 General Election.
Assistant minister Mirugi says if the next General Election is held under the new constitution, President Kibaki will not contest the Othaya seat.
"Under the provisions in the proposed constitution, President Kibaki will not campaign as an MP. He will concentrate in garnering presidential votes," he said.
Kibaki has represented Othaya since 1974 after moving from Bahati in Nairobi.
Kariuki said the proposed constitution would ensure a minority winner in a presidential race cannot rule the country.
The Office of the President assistant minister was speaking in Kiriaini in Murang'a District during a 'Yes' campaign rally.
He said contrary to the propaganda spread by the 'No' campaigners, the powers of the President had been reduced in the proposed constitution.
"The occupant of State House cannot use land or constitutional appointments to reward his relatives or supporters.
Land will be under a commission while every appointment must be approved by Parliament," Kariuki said.
He said the President would not use the office of the Vice-President as a carrot to win the support of tribal groups.
"The office of the Vice-President has been entrenched. He will be elected directly by the people and cannot be sacked at the whims of the President," he said.
He said some religious leaders were misleading their flock by saying the proposed constitution legalised homosexuality and abortion.
Meanwhile, a planned 'Yes' rally scheduled for today in Nyeri has been called off.
Nyeri Town MP Peter Gichohi Mureithi said the rally was postponed to allow other members of Parliament from Central Province to join in other rallies elsewhere.
The cancellation was aimed at integrating the Nyeri 'Yes' campaign in the provincial and national timetable, he said.
"We want to have as many MPs as possible. A well cordinated campaign will impress voters," said Mureithi.
"We had to call it off so as to be fitted in the national timetable for the Banana campaign. I do not know when it will be held as this will be decided by the national secretariat," he said.
The rally was supposed to be held at Nyeri's Kamukunji grounds.
As a result of the cancellation, there will be no politicial rally Central Province this weekend.
'Yes' campaigners have held only two rallies in the province, with last weekend's meeting in Banana Hill and in Mathioya last Thursday.
Orange crusaders' only meeting in the province, which was held on Wednesday in Thika, was met with violence.
The Yes campaigners had said they were waiting for the the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission to launch civic education.
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