The County Assemblies Forum has listed demands it wants met before members can support the push to amend the Constitution.
CAF, which brings together more than 2,000 MCAs and 47 county assembly speakers, also wants to have a meeting with President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
Speaking after holding a National Governing Council meeting in Nairobi on Thursday, CAF chairman Ndegwa Wahome said they must have their concerns addressed in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report.
CAF wants the Ward Development Fund increased to 30 per cent of the annual development revenue. The BBI proposed that the fund be established in the Constitution and be five per cent of development revenue.
“The WDF ought to be implemented in a similar manner as the Constituency Development Fund but with modifications, with a single county WDF manager to avoid excessive administration costs. The MCAs will have direct oversight of the fund,” Wahome said.
CAF said the treatment of Members of Parliament should be cascaded to MCAs.
“For instance, the BBI report recommends that Cabinet secretaries may be appointed from members of the National Assembly. This should equally apply in counties such that members of the county executive committee may be appointed from among MCAs – at least 50 per cent,” Wahome said.
MCAs and county speakers further want to be provided with pensions, just as is the case with MPs.
They also want the car loans of Sh2 million and Sh4 million that the BBI proposes to be awarded to MCAs and speakers respectively, to be converted into car grants.
The ward reps are demanding that the requirement that MCA candidates must have a degree from a recognised university be scrapped.
“The requirement of a degree will make political leadership a preserve of the elite and disenfranchise many good leaders,” Wahome said.
Speaking to the Star separately, CAF secretary-general Kipkurui Chepkwony said another window should be opened to make amendments to the report.
“Do not tell us to take it or leave it because we can also say the same. Let’s have a conversation and see if the document can be improved,” he said.
“We want to be heard because we play a very critical role in the process,” he said.
MCAs from all counties were to converge at the Bomas of Kenya on Friday to endorse resolutions of the governing council, but the Ministry of Interior declined to approve the meeting over a surge in Covid-19 cases.
“We will plan a suitable date for the special general meeting that will revolve around protecting the gains made by devolution since 2013,” Wahome said.
County assemblies are critical to the process because they must approve the referendum push.
At least 24 county assemblies must approve the BBI bill before it goes to the next stage ahead of a referendum.