Thirdway Alliance Party leader Ekuru Aukot has dismissed the government's Building Bridges Initiative as a meaningless waste of taxpayers’ cash.
Aukot said despite using billions of shillings, BBI is not able to bring any constitutional amendment through a parliamentary or popular initiative. Their terms of reference do not include amending the Constitution, he said.
Aukot said one of BBI’s terms of reference is to establish what troubles Kenya as a nation.
He said the problem with Kenya’s political system is known, adding that it’s expected BBI will draft another useless report that will not be implemented just like the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) report, the Kriegler report, the Ndung’u land report, the Akiwumi and Waki reports among many others.
Aukot urged Kenyans to interrogate the massive funding for the initiative, revealing that Punguza Mizigo is fully funded by ordinary Kenyan citizens who believe in it.
He said the party had registered a pay bill number for donations and will make all its expenditure open to public inspection.
Speaking at the county assembly of Embu on Tuesday during a meeting with MCAs, Aukot warned against demeaning the Punguza Mizigo initiative just because it was not backed by powerful politicians.
He said even sons and daughters of peasants can bring positive change in Kenya and challenged MCAs to have faith in themselves as pillars of development as visualized in the Punguza Mizigo Bill.
Aukot pointed out there was a need to improve physical infrastructure at the grassroots.
He criticized those claiming that devolving 35 per cent of national revenue, up from the current 15 per cent, was equivalent to devolving corruption, saying this was immature thinking by idle people who were contented with graft.
He challenged MCAs to reinforce their oversight role to ensure public money is properly spent.
Embu MCAs pledged to fully support the Punguza Mizigo Bill.
