Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Korir Sing'oei on Sunday, July 9, took on former Mukurweini MP Kabando wa Kabando for his support of Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga's drive to collect 10 million signatures.
Kabando suggested that the anti-government protests could destabilise President William Ruto's administration leading to a dramatic change in the country's politics.
The former MP insinuated that whereas the Azimio team could fail in a majority of their demand, they stood a chance of forcing the Head of State to lessen his stance on some issues.
"Articles 144, 145 and 146 of Kenya Constitution denote that the President can only cease holding office by way of proven mental incapacity or impeachment after being endorsed by 67 of the Senate and National Assembly," Kabando stated.
He instead noted that the 10 million signatures, should Azimio succeed in collecting them, may lead to a revolution that may force the Ruto government out of office.
In a rejoinder, PS Sing'Oei claimed that the former Mukurweini Member of Parliament was misleading the people since his suggestions were not envisaged in the Supreme Law.
"Did drafters of our Constitution contemplate mass uprising as a legitimate mode to oust a democratically elected government?," the PS questioned Kabando in a direct reply.
Sing'Oei, who is a close ally of President Ruto, accused Kabando of being a turncoat whose support for Azimio la Umoja'a push for self-determination would be a major betrayal to his legal profession.
The exchange between Sing'oei and Kabando snowballed into a tense discussion on social media, with some people calling on the PS to read the mood of the country.
"Article 1 can mean a lot of things, especially when backed by International Law. You should know this, seeing as you live in the international law sphere or do you admit that, like everyone else, all you people do at these international forums is cosplay and waste state funds," Lavan Ach stated.
The Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary, however, explained that he had nothing against those exploiting constitutional provisions to advance their agenda, but completely disavowed Azimio la Umoja's push for an uprising, calling it a betrayal of the country.
"I am a student of many years of the right to self-determination and indigenous rights. None in our context offer the claims you propose," Sing'Oei stated.
On Friday, July 7, Raila claimed that self-determination was the right of people to choose their own political status and freely determine their own development.
Accordingly, the former Prime Minister stated that self-determination was a core principle of international law, enshrined in the United Nations Charter and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
"The right to self-determination is not absolute. It is subject to the principle of territorial integrity, which means that a state cannot be divided against its will.
"However, the right to self-determination can be used to justify secession or autonomy in certain cases, such as when a people are being denied basic human rights or when a state is not functioning effectively," Raila stated.
