• Governor Francis Kimemia on Sunday said the translated documents will be used for civic education to make people understand the BBI report.
• He said the county targets to collect 122,000 signatures in two days to demonstrate that residents are not against the initiative.
Image: NDICHU WAINAINA
The Nyandarua government will translate the most important parts of the Constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill into Kikuyu and Kiswahili languages.
Governor Francis Kimemia on Sunday said the translated documents will be used for civic education to make people understand the BBI report.
Kimemia spoke at Karangatha trading centre in Nyakio, Kinangop, during the official launch of collection of BBI signatures.
He said the county targets to collect 122,000 signatures in two days to demonstrate that residents support the initiative.
“This is our destiny. It is not about President Uhuru Kenyatta, Governor Kimemia or any other leader,” he said
Kimemia said the 35 per cent of the national budget allocation to the counties, if the BBI is approved, will ensure areas like Nyandarua that have been marginalised for a long time get development.
“The BBI promise is that Nyandarua which gets about Sh7 billion will get about sh15 billion. If you commit 80 per cent of this money to development, you will not worry or care to know who the President is,” he said
He urged those who are opposed to the BBI to realise that it is an idea whose time has come and cannot be stopped or wished away. Going forward, he said, the country will be ruled by a coalition of parties and no single community should think it can make it alone.
Mt Kenya region, he said, must unite and consolidate their numbers to ensure they get the top leadership positions.
Nyandarua leaders, however, hold different positions about the law change.
Woman Representative Faith Gitau has said she won't support the initiative as the county has nothing to celebrate.
Speaking to the Star on the phone following the launch, which she declined to attend, Gitau said there is nothing to celebrate as the report has done away with woman representative position and abolished the National Government Affirmative Action Fund.
“This means all the projects I initiated will die by 2022, and all the groups I assisted, including the orphans, the widows and the disabled among others, will lose,” she said
Taking the woman representatives to the Senate, she said, means they will only sit and earn without taking any development to the counties.
“This means all the dreams and visions we had have been killed,” she said.
While some counties have gained from the newly proposed 70 constituencies, Nyandarua got none.
Gitau said the anticipated increment in allocation to the county is nothing to sing about because it will not benefit the residents as it will never be utilised as required.
“Even with the little currently available, millions, sometimes billions, are returned to the Treasury at the end of the financial year as the counties fail to utilise the amounts,” she said
“Our quick win would have been an additional parliamentary seat. So, why should I clap?” she posed.
The legislator said the only lucky women are those who will get a chance to be elected in the constituencies as they will take advantage of NG-CDF. The rest who will get to the Legislature as gender top-up will only sit in the House as spectators, she said.
“My problem is that I have a stand and I don’t just dance to a tune whose rhythm I neither know nor understand. Unless we take such a stand, we shall forever sing marginalisation," she said.
Ndaragwa MP, Jeremiah Kioni, however, dismissed opponents as of no consequence, saying BBI is a government project that will not be defeated.
“It is very hard to fight the government. Don’t waste too much energy. The government belongs to us all and what plans it makes are for our own good,” he said.
In a veiled reference to Gitau, Kioni said those opposed will at the end of the day dance reggae after they see the light.
“Don’t be stopped by anyone by the road to be advised to vote no. They will all come, including someone who disappeared a while ago,” he said
Gitau had attended ACK Mukeu Parish 25th anniversary celebrations at Karangatha stadium, just 100 metres from the signature collection launch venue.
Kioni called for more representation at the National Assembly, noting that Kinangop constituency was overpopulated and required subdivision.
Kinangop MP Zachary Kwenya said Nyandarua leaders opposed to the BBI are against President Kenyatta.
County commissioner Benson Leparmorijo urged residents to back the document, saying disputed clauses have been corrected, with more to follow through the legislation.