Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has proposed squeezing a limited number of referendum questions into the 2027 General Election ballot, arguing that the move could offer a practical path to resolving long-standing constitutional and governance disputes without plunging the country into yet another costly stand-alone plebiscite.
Speaking amid renewed debate on constitutional reform, Mudavadi said Kenya has for years struggled with unresolved questions touching on governance structure, the cost of running government, and the balance of power between national and devolved units. He noted that while these issues continue to dominate political discourse, attempts to fully reopen the Constitution have often ended in political standoffs, court battles, or public fatigue.
Mudavadi’s proposal is to narrow down the most contentious and widely supported constitutional questions and present them to voters alongside the 2027 presidential, parliamentary and county elections. In his view, this would reduce the financial burden on taxpayers while also ensuring high voter turnout, since Kenyans would already be at polling stations.
He stressed that the idea is not about overloading voters with numerous or complex amendments, but about carefully selecting a few critical questions that enjoy broad political and public consensus. Among the issues frequently mentioned in reform debates are the size and structure of the executive, the role and remuneration of elected leaders, the strengthening of devolution, and mechanisms to prevent prolonged post-election disputes.
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The Prime Cabinet Secretary cautioned that any such process would require wide consultations across the political divide, civil society, religious leaders and the public to avoid the mistakes of past reform efforts. He emphasized that consensus building must come before drafting questions, warning that pushing divisive proposals to a referendum could deepen political tensions instead of healing them.
Mudavadi’s remarks come at a time when political temperatures are slowly rising ahead of 2027, with various leaders already positioning themselves and floating reform ideas. Supporters of the proposal argue that a targeted referendum could help settle recurring constitutional arguments once and for all, while critics warn that mixing referendum questions with a general election could confuse voters or turn constitutional issues into campaign weapons.
For now, the idea remains a proposal, but it has reopened national conversation on whether Kenya is ready for another constitutional moment—and if so, whether 2027 could provide the most convenient and cost-effective window to address it.
