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Mukurweini, October 31, 2005

First Lady Mrs. Lucy Kibaki and Mukurweini MP Mutahi Kagwe follow proceedings during a public rally at Mukurweini stadium, Nyeri District

First Lady Lucy Kibaki today urged Kenyans not to accept to be cheated by opponents of the proposed new constitution who are peddling lies about the document to propagate their selfish ambitions.

Addressing a public rally at Mukurweini Stadium in Nyeri district, the First Lady noted that some politicians were feeding wananchi with falsehoods to delay the delivery of a new constitution in order to use it as a tool to discredit the NARC Government.

“What is happening now is not about the constitution because leaders from both sides of the political divide were involved in producing it. Those opposing it now are those who do not want to see the Government fulfilling its pledge of delivering a constitution that will help Kenyans for posterity,” she said.

She pointed out that those opposing the new constitution were people who were scared that the Narc Government’s development record would deny them the opportunity to ascend to leadership thus they were trying to frustrate it.

The First Lady cited the Constituency Development Fund, the Constituency Bursary Fund and the Local Authority Transfer Fund as some of the Government’s initiatives that had benefited wananchi at the grassroots level.

She said the Government had also streamlined the agricultural sector therefore helping farmers to benefit from their hard work.

“Dairy, maize, tea, coffee and sugarcane farmers can now enjoy better returns because the Government has moved in to wipeout the corruption that denied them their dues,” the First Lady said, adding that: “It is these gains that opponents of the constitution are not happy about.”

She said contrary to what the opponents of the proposed new constitution were saying, abortion and marriage by people of the same sex were not allowed by the constitution.

The First Lady added that the new constitution assured Kenyans of a better life as it safeguarded the right of every mwananchi including education, health and housing.

Saying that the Government was firm and would not allow people to disrupt the prevailing peace and stability, the First Lady urged wananchi not to be intimidated by talks of military coups and chaos.

Speaking during the rally, wananchi and local leaders said they would not allow the strides made towards the delivery of a new constitution be curtailed by a few people out to further personal ambitions.

They said they would turn out in large numbers to vote for the proposed new constitution which reflected the desires of all Kenyans.

Present were local leaders including Mukurweini Member of Parliament Mutahi Kagwe and his Mathira counterpart Nderitu Gachagwa among others.