constituency public hearings, mandera east ... - ConstitutionNet

107Abdikadir Lokatar: My names are Abkad Lokatar, I’m representing emergency pastoralist assistance group Kenya(EPAK). And I’m going to present a direct recommendation. In the Preamble of the Constitution, I would like you to recognizethe people as the entire 42 tribes in Kenya, should be enlisted, and be given recognition by tribe, in the Preamble. So that at aglance of the Constitution, the people of Kenya are known. Their values, the religion, the diversified religion, and the landshould also appear on the Preamble of the Constitution. Then pastoralism, as a way of life, and economic base for the entireNorthern region people, has not been given recognition in the current Constitution. So I propose that this form of life be givenproper recognition, and a kind of a ministry catering for this pastoral development be established.And then the provincial administration, as many people have said to be replaced by the community authority. Traditionalinstitutions can be revived to manage and control and regulate all the natural resources. The form of Government, I recommendis the regional Government, that will handle all the resources of the region.Then the public expenditures be public at all levels so that people can scrutinize the expenditures against the service provision.Then the other issue on basic rights is that I recommend the domestication of international conventions. Whatever has beenagreed as basic rights in the international conventions, and the expanded bill of rights should be entrenched in the currentConstitution.I also recommend for the affirmative action on the disparities of service provision, especially in education, and compenstion forthe loss of lives of people and their animals during emergencies that happened in Daba, in the Warso Boran, Wagala in Wajir,Malikamari in garissa and Mandera masaccre. In fact that is the basis on wihich the current poverty level has really contributednegatively to the life of the people.Then the Presidential powers be reducedand the regulated by Parliament. If we are saying Parliament that means both thereligion and the central Parliament, if you are going for the regional system of governance.And then civic education. – as a matter of interest, to be a continuous kind of exercise for Kenyans: because right now, whatthe few people who are in control of power and resource use against the majority of Kenyans, 30 million Kenyans is theignorance level. And this can only be done away with when the common man, the 30 million people, are educated on the roleand the relationship of the wananchi and the state. And then, both the resources and the power, to be decentralized to theregion for effectiveness. And then the trust land act should be repealed amd sistituted with community managed kind of land.The nominated MPs and councilors, should be retained but this should be given to interest groups like women, youth, and thedisabled, and not the election losers.The last one, the Government should be made simpler for it to be sued in case it fails to provide each commitment. Thank you