Kitui MCAs have come under fire for approving the BBI Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2020 against the wish of the county’s populace.
The coordinator of a political lobby group dubbed the Hustler Empowerment and UDA Movement Moses Banda said Kitui assembly last month passed the BBI bill despite it having no direct benefits to residents.
“The assembly sadly endorsed the BBI bill despite the fact that Kitui county did not benefit from the newly created 70 constituencies that would have devolved more funds to the county,” said a statement from the lobby group associated with Deputy President William Ruto.
In the Sunday press release, Banda dismissed BBI as only meant to benefit a few communities and selected tribal political leaders to the detriment of Kitui people.
“The BBI was drafted to suit the interests of a few individuals and certain communities. Period!” said part of the statement by Banda, the Kitui central subcounty Jubilee party chairman.
Banda observed that Kitui was vast county and the expectation was that it would get at least two extra constituencies in the BBI arrangement but did not even get a single one.
He said there was no justification for the people of Kitui to support a BBI document that will not benefit them. He said the Kitui people were further denied Mwingi county which they had asked the BBI committee to consider.
Banda said since the Kitui MCAs did not hold public participation meetings to get the residents' views, and only called for written memorandums, the residents were shortchanged when the bill was passed.
The lobby consequently announced that under the leadership of Banda it will launch a blitz across the county to sensitise residents on the pros and cons of the BBI and particularly persuade them not to support the BBI document at the referendum.
“We shall sensitise our people on the implication of the bloated executive and how they will be heavily taxed to pay for the upkeep of those to occupy those big offices,” said the statement.
He added: “We have thus bestowed ourselves the responsibility of unpacking the BBI lies for our people to overtly see them and vote No at the referendum in order to save Kenya from going to the dogs.”
-Edited by Sarah Kanyara
