- Popular comedian and skit maker Eric Omondi and the “Sisi Kwa Sisi” brigade occupied Meru’s Kinoru Stadium in a signature collection drive aimed at reducing the number of counties from 47 to 8.
- Eric Omondi targets 2 million signatures which is way above the required threshold of 1 million.
- According to the comedian-turned-activist, Kenyans are overrepresented in both levels of government, and there’s a need to reduce the cost of running the government.
Punda Amechoka! Eric Omondi Puts Nominated Members of Parliament and Senators on Notice
After months of sharp criticism against the country’s punitive economic laws, the former Churchill Show headliner has turned his attention to the country’s governance structure.
Recently, Eric Omondi staged dramatic protests against the biting cost of living outside Parliament Buildings in Kenya’s capital Nairobi.
All his protests ended prematurely as he was arrested, forced into waiting police vehicles, and driven off the legislature premises.
State efforts to silence him appear to have been unsuccessful, as Mr. Omondi is back on the road with a new set of bold proposals for Kenya’s representation lineup.
Eric Omondi who is a self-appointed President of Comedy in Africa demands the abolishment of representative positions including woman representatives, nominated MCAs, and nominated MPs.
Also part of his sweeping proposals is the abolishment of the Senate of Kenya in its entirety. The Senate is one of the two houses of parliament tasked with the oversight of the 47 counties created by the Constitution.
“We feel Kenya is overrepresented. We are going to have 8 Governors like the former provinces, no senators,” Eric Omondi said in a recent interview with local media.
The Chief Executive Officer of Big Tyme Entertainment also addressed concerns on the cost of the exercise stating that Kenyans will vote on the referendum simultaneously with the upcoming 2027 elections.
According to the “Sisi Kwa Sisi” movement, Kenyan taxpayers are overburdened with the cost of running a bloated government.
Kenya’s elected officials and other state officers are among the highest paid worldwide, attracting a humongous wage bill estimated at over 1 trillion shillings annually.
Eric Omondi’s Signature Collection Itinerary Revealed
Having made his intentions clear, Eric Omondi hit the road to collect the requisite 1 million signatures from registered voters across Kenya.
After launching the campaign in Nairobi, Eric Omondi traveled to Meru and is expected to continue to Mombasa to gather additional signatures.
“Today we were in Meru Kinoru Stadium…Collected over 10,000 Signatures. Since we need a Million Signatures, we are going to collect 2 Million just to be on the safe side. MOMBASA MPO TAYARI????
We are going to cut down Counties to 8 from 47 and ABOLISH Unnecessary Elected and Nominated Members,” wrote the comedian on his Instagram page.
Eric Omondi can be seen in the video guiding Kenyans as they put in their signatures in support of the drive.
The overzealous president of comedy made the bold proclamation spelling doom to scores of elected officials; “We will not have 47 counties in 2028. You can take that to the bank!”
His campaign mirrors the recent “Punguza Mizigo” initiative conducted by Thirdway Alliance Party supremo Ekuru Aukot.
Ekuru Aukot, an accomplished lawyer and political commentator was part of the polished Committee of Experts that drafted Kenya’s current constitution.
“Punguza Mizigo” was a constitutional amendment initiative aimed at reducing the cost of running Parliament by decreasing the number of members from 349 to 147, in an effort to address the rising wage bill.
Aukot’s bill, however, did not see the light of day as more than 30 counties voted against the bill. The constitution requires that for a referendum bill to proceed to the next stage it should be passed by at least 24 County Assemblies.
Speculations are rife over whether Eric Omondi is on for the mission impossible drawing from past constitutional amendment initiatives.
Despite this, Eric’s initiative has gained significant traction, as many Kenyans are eagerly offering their signatures in support of his proposals.
The proposals are also believed to be responsive to calls by Kenya’s Gen Z who have called for scrapping of several costly leadership positions.
