Three MPs allied to Deputy President William Ruto on Monday snubbed a BBI signature collection exercise in Kilifi county.
Owen Baya (Kilifi North), Aisha Jumwa (Malindi) and Paul Katana (Kaloleni) skipped the meeting that was called by Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi and county commissioner Kutswa Olaka to rally area leaders take the lead in rallying the residents to endorse BBI. Katana sent an apology.
The MPs who attended were Teddy Mwambire (Ganze), Ken Chonga (Kilifi South), William Kamoti (Rabai), Michael Kingi (Magarini), Jubilee nominated Senator Christine Zawadi and a host of MCAs from Kilifi county.
Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo and speaker Jimmy Kahindi were also in attendance.
Immediately after the launch, Baya took to social media and said he won't endorse the BBI as a protest against "legalising further marginalisation and protection of our land".
“In life, sometimes, you fight to know you will lose but more importantly, you make a point being heard. I am raising my voice that we can get more results for Kilifi and the Coast region if we enter the ring and be heard and people will respect us for standing up for our rights,” Baya wrote.
He, however, acknowledged proposal for additional four new constituencies in Kilifi, the extension of the Equalization Fund for 10 more years and the increase in revenue allocation for the counties as progressive recommendations. But he said the BBI process is vague on important matters key to the region.
“If the BBI does not address the land issues at the Coast, then we are left as destitute if the BBI does not give a solution on how the Equalization Fund is distributed. It is like giving someone a house without the key."
"We are still destitute. If the blue economy remains a vague, useless statement in the Constitution, it won't translate into any meaningful gains,” Baya said.
He further took issue with over-representation in Parliament.
“If we are going to have a Parliament with 650 MPs, then there is no meaningful representation. The 35 per cent to counties will not make any sense if the horizontal formula for distribution is against us,” he added.
While addressing residents before appending his signature, Kingi said no one should be coerced or forced to sign.
The governor said the BBI report is a sure bet for the posterity of the region and country.
“As leaders, we should be at the forefront of calling our people to sign. While doing this, let us make sure it is voluntary and nobody is forced. This is an important document that will benefit generations to come,” Kingi said.
On his part, Mwambire said the document is not about ODM leader Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta but the whole country.
“People said the 2010 Constitution was for Raila but now you can see the people who did not support it are the ones leading the nation. This is for everybody and not particular people,” Mwambire said.
