One man, one shilling, one vote push is a bad idea, Omar tells Gachagua

UDA vice chairman Hassan Omar has joined other leaders in pushing back Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s 'one man, one shilling, one vote' clamour.

He said although they are both in UDA, he will not stay silent as leaders push for issues that can easily destroy the country.

Gachagua’s clamour for the one-man-one-shilling formula of resource allocation to counties will only balkanise the country and create enmity among Kenyans, Omar said.

“This I say with a lot of respect for our Deputy President, let go of this issue of one man, one shilling. It will bring bad blood in this Kenya,” he said.

Omar spoke at the UDA Hustler Centre in Mombasa while unveiling his team for the party’s June 22 grassroots elections.

Gachagua vowed to push for the adoption of the one-man-one-vote- one-shilling formula to ensure equity and fairness in the allocation of funds to the counties.

According to him, it would be unfair to have a constituency of about 800,000 people getting the same amount of development funds as one having a population of 14,000 residents. 

The DP said resources are about the people and the number of people present in a county equates to the taxes remitted.

"For avoidance of doubt, in matters revenue sharing, Gachagua is a believer and a proponent of one man, one vote, one shilling," he said on Sunday. 

He said some communities have been marginalised for long and through devolution have got an opportunity to develop to be at par with the areas that benefited in the past.

“If your child lived well, let your friend’s child also live well. Our communities largely have no infrastructure. They did not go to school. Now they have an opportunity to have their children go to school, why do you want them to remain backwards?” Omar posed.

He said Gachagua should consult other leaders before coming up with proposals that will divide the country.

Omar said he has been receiving calls by his panicked people asking what would happen if Gachagua’s push come to fruition.

“Talking of shares, Mt Kenya, one shilling, one vote, breeds tribalism. It creates sensationalism. It potentially can derail the development agenda of the government,” Omar said.

 Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana said on Wednesday Gachagua’s proposal pushes for economic segregation.

"Gachagua said he is a supporter of one vote, one shilling, we want to tell him that we are in Kenya, supporters of one man, one vote, one kilometre and we have no apology to make at all," he said.

Mungatana said Kenyans have rights and are not in the country by mistake.

"His statement is unfortunate because it is an attempt at the continuation of economic segregation of areas in this country that are arid and semi-arid," the senator said.

On Thursday, Omar said positive discrimination is allowed in the Constitution explaining that a man in Lamu, who has been marginalised for decades, can today get more resources so he can develop like that man in Nairobi.

“It is called social justice [meant] to make those who are worse off, better off before those who are better off become well off,” Omar said.

The EALA MP urged UDA leaders to use every opportunity they get to sell the good deeds of the ruling party and the Kenya Kwanza coalition.

Omar said only the bad things are amplified and blown out of proportion to make the regime and the party look bad.

Speaking about the Coast region, Omar said most people from the smaller communities are always kept busy by trivial things, while others plan their roadmap to the bigger stakes in the country.

“While others are looking to converge for their Limuru 3 meeting to create their roadmap, we should also be looking to converge for our own roadmap and that of the Northern Kenya,” he said.

Omar said the region can also produce a president and take over the government.

This comes amid moves by former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho which have been interpreted by observers as pathways to the country’s biggest political seat.

He said the Coast region is not badly off in terms of ascending to the top echelons of leadership in the country and this is what he wants to capitalise on come 2032.