Just a few weeks after Senate Majority whip Irungu Kang’ata’s BBI letter to President Uhuru Kenyatta went viral, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has also raised concerns.
Kang’ata in his letter had warned the President that the BBI document was unpopular in Mt Kenya region, and unless much is done, it was likely to fail.
Waiguru wants an all-inclusive team to lead the BBI campaigns in Mt Kenya region if it is meant to pass.
She said there is a need to embrace all leaders, including those with varied opinions, if efforts to sell the document in the vote-rich region will succeed.
Waiguru spoke even as the Mt Kenya BBI secretariat met leaders from the region in efforts to calm discontent arising from alleged exclusion of some of the leaders.
The claim emerged after a five-member team was picked to popularise the BBI in the region.
Yesterday’s meeting was chaired by Kirinyaga Senator Charles Kibiru with most of those who attended refusing to divulge details.
Waiguru in an interview with The Standard cast aspersions on the newly-selected secretariat saying: “BBI is a political process that must be led by people the community recognises as political influencers.”
According to her, BBI is a political process and if it is not led by people the community recognises as political influencers, it will have challenges.
The team selected a fortnight ago comprises Kibiru, MPs Maoka Maore (Ntonyiri), Ruth Mwaniki (Kigumo), Peter Mwathi (Limuru) and Jane Njiru (Embu).
The five have pledged allegiance to Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration, but are accused of not being strong defenders of the president.
Waiguru was a member of Team Embrace that brought together women parliamentarians from Jubilee and ODM which drummed up support for the BBI.
Asked whether she was among the leaders that selected the Mt Kenya BBI secretariat and what she felt about it, Waiguru said she was not invited at Thika Greens meeting where the matter was discussed.
She said she is not worried about being excluded as she is busy pushing development projects in Kirinyaga.
The governor said for the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2020 to get approval, there is need to make the process as collaborative as possible.
This, according to Waiguru, will entail bringing on board leaders with divergent views so that all leaders can own the document.
She warned that the process should not be made competitive as that would end up bringing more opposition to the BBI project which will spell doom to agenda and the mission of amending the 2010 Constitution.
“It is my view that for it to pass smoothly, we need to move from making BBI a competitive to a collaborative process by bringing everyone on board, including those with divergent views, so that we all own the document as opposed to having competing internal and external camps,” Waiguru said.
On whether she will continue supporting the proposed constitutional amendments, the governor said: “I will wait to be advised and then make decisions on how best to engage.”
Speaking during an interview with four vernacular radio stations in the region on Monday, the President lashed out at the BBI opponents accusing them of stirring up incitement among Kenyans through the dynasty versus hustler narrative which he warned will divide Kenyans.
