Saturday, February 21, 2004
Kenyans living abroad want special seat in Parliament
Kenyans living abroad want the new constitution to create a special seat to represent their interests in Parliament.
They want the Bomas of Kenya talks on constitutional review to consider their representation in the spirit of affirmative action.
Through Mr Gichane Muraguri of the Kenyans Living Abroad, they told the representation committee yesterday that the draft had contradicted itself by allowing them to vote.
"The draft gave us the right with one hand and took it away with the other," he said.
Mr Muraguri lives in Canada.
A clause in the draft, Mr Muraguri argued, said Kenyans living abroad had a right to vote while, another said one could not be registered as a voter in a constituency if he had not stayed there for a certain period.
He urged the committee to harmonise the articles.
The committee chairperson, Ms Caroline Ng�ang�a, admitted the paradox and promised that it would be looked into.
Mr Muraguri said there were more than 500,000 Kenyans abroad who needed representation and who should vote via the Internet.
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