BBI in Mt Kenya Archives

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his handshake partner the ODM leader Raila Odinga may just suffer another blow in their efforts to popularise the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) in Mt. Kenya region.

Members of County Assembly (MCAs) allied to Deputy President William Ruto from across the 10 counties in the region will be meeting at Thika Greens in Murang’a today, while another team will be in Nyahururu next weekend to chart the way forward and give their stand on the BBI issue, which has divided the region.

Ruto’s allies have clustered counties in three groups where they are scheduled to meet the ward representatives to discuss BBI and his 2022 presidential bid.

Already, the allies have met MCAs from Meru, Isiolo and Tharaka Nithi, which formed the first group that had an inaugural meeting on Saturday last week.

Today, Tangatanga leaders will meet MCAs from Kiambu, Nairobi, Murang’a, Kirinyaga and Embu while the last meeting at Nyahururu town on January 30 will be targeting MCAs in Nyeri, Nyandarua, Nakuru and Laikipia.

Forty-two Meru MCAs attended the meeting alongside five from Isiolo, five from Tharaka Nithi, and 19 from Kirinyaga. There were also a couple of MCAs from Nyeri and Kiambu. MPs Rahim Dawood (North Imenti) and Josephat Gichunge (Tigania West) also attended.

The steering committee of the Mt Kenya MCAs meeting includes Chinga MCA Kiruga Thuku, Gatanga’s Nahashon Gachuhi, Ken Mukira (Nyandarua), Kinyua Wangui (Kirinyaga), Elias Murage (Meru), Peter Mbae (Nakuru), Robarto Maina (Laikipia) and Mr Ikonya from Kiambu.

It is understood that after the meeting today, the allies will then select their representatives who will lead a charm offensive campaigns at the grassroots to popularise Ruto’s bid.

“We have requested the deputy president to attend the ceremony and he said he will if he will be available,” said Thuku, adding that they will not discuss BBI.

Ruto’s Spokesman David Mugonyi, however, said he was not aware that his boss will attend the meeting, answering in a brief text message, “There is nothing like that” when a local daily tried to reach out to him.

Mt Kenya region Assemblies Caucus representative Charles Ng’ang’a said Ruto’s allies have been wooing them to oppose the BBI report in a bid to flex their muscles and to prove that although the region is perceived as President Kenyatta’s stronghold, they have been able to turn tables.

“We have been approached on how we shall reject the BBI report in the region. They argue that the proposed Ward Development Fund is just but a sweetener and a bait for us to approve the report but they are telling us that the State has been unable to release development monies from the Treasury and will not be able to implement the proposal,” said Ng’ang’a.

Ng’ang’a has, however, urged the MCAs to ignore the gimmicks and approve the report due to the gains that the region will get.

He further claimed that DP Ruto’s allies are only interested in settling political scores.

“However, I urge MCAS to reject such gimmicks and approve the report due to the gains that the region will get. Other than ward fund, there are other proposals like the revenue sharing formula and representation that favours our region, Ruto’s allies are only interested in settling political scores but the report seeks to cater for our interests.”

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.

BBI in Mt Kenya

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