Moses Kuria backs Mudavadi’s 2027 referendum proposal

Former State Senior Economic Advisor Moses Kuria/ MOSES KURIA/X

Former Presidential adviser Moses Kuria has backed Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi’s proposal to hold a constitutional referendum alongside the 2027 General Election, arguing that Kenya needs to confront unresolved governance questions head-on rather than relying on political stop-gap measures.

In a statement on Wednesday, Kuria argued the country has avoided difficult but necessary constitutional reforms for years, opting instead for political arrangements that mask deeper structural problems.

He endorsed Mudavadi’s suggestion that the referendum be treated as a “seventh ballot” in 2027, allowing voters to decide on proposed constitutional changes on the same day they elect leaders.

“I have always said that we need to face reality as a country,” Kuria said.

“Whilst our Constitution is arguably among the most progressive in the world, there are several areas that need to be fixed based on the realities of Kenyan society and our 15 years’ experience with Katiba 2010.”

Kuria criticised political settlements such as handshakes, the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) process and the current broad-based political arrangements, noting that they provide interim remedies while deeper constitutional questions remain unresolved.

He likened the approach to “taking Piriton instead of surgery,” arguing that cosmetic political solutions have replaced honest constitutional reform.

According to Kuria, these compromises have created what he termed “the lie we live as a country,” warning that unresolved constitutional questions will continue to resurface unless addressed through a formal amendment process backed by the people.

“It’s time for our cheap make-up to fall off,” he said.

The former adviser said he fully supports Mudavadi’s call for a referendum to be included as the seventh ballot in the 2027 polls, adding that the idea is not new.

He revealed that he and ODM leader Raila Odinga had previously discussed jointly championing a constitutional referendum, noting that he has advocated for such reforms.

"Baba Raila Odinga and I had agreed to jointly champion that (I know everyone says Baba told them this and that). I have been advocating for this since 2016," he stated.

Kuria’s remarks come moments after Mudavadi floated the idea during an end-of-year media interview at CHAMS Media in Nairobi.

The Prime Cabinet Secretary said holding a referendum alongside the General Election could offer Kenyans an opportunity to resolve long-standing constitutional issues that have proved difficult to settle through Parliament or the courts.

Mudavadi argued that contentious matters could be consolidated into carefully crafted referendum questions and subjected directly to a popular vote.

He said the approach would be both practical and progressive if well structured and managed by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

“We can use the 2027 election as the first example to have those issues that have never been resolved crafted well into sensible referendum questions that will help amend our 2010 Constitution,” Mudavadi said.

He added that the national conversation should begin in 2026 to give Kenyans ample time to debate and understand the proposals ahead of the vote.

The Prime Cabinet Secretary also dismissed concerns that adding referendum questions could complicate the voting process, arguing that Kenyans have demonstrated sufficient democratic maturity.

“If you can vote for six people on one ballot paper, I think we are now mature enough to include maybe two or three constitutional questions that can be dealt with so that we move forward,” he said.