• Murkomen urged the two to declare their interest to avoid leaving Kenyans guessing.
Image: ROBERT OMOLLO
Elgeyo Markwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen has hit out at ODM leader Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta, telling them to "stop hiding" their agenda in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report.
Murkomen said Raila and Uhuru were taking Kenyans round in circles with the report for no reason.
He spoke on Friday at Waondo village in Homa Bay county during the burial of Mama Dorcas Ajwang’, the mother of Ruaraka MP Tom Kajwang’ and Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang’.
Murkomen urged the two to declare their interest to avoid leaving Kenyans guessing.
He said, "Let Raila and Uhuru tell us if it is parliamentary system or presidential system that they want instead of taking Kenyans round in circles. Hon Raila, you and the President have numbers in Parliament to ensure what you want can pass in Parliament but it is unpleasant to take Kenyans round and round with this BBI report."
Murkomen said the politics of castigating leaders opposed to the BBI report had been overtaken by events.
"This issue of telling us to stop opposing BBI is a diversionary tactic because so far nobody is opposing the document," he added.
Murkomen said extending the term of the BBI task force was a clear demonstration that Raila and Uhuru had a "secret agenda" with the report.
"Stop wasting our time with another round of public participation on the BBI," he said.
He argued that what is important in the BBI report is its implementation which will involve commitment of both the national and county governments.
“You don’t need any law or referendum to fight corruption in Kenya. What matters is commitment of the national and county governments to implement the BBI report,” the Majority leader added.
Murkomen further stated that the narrative that BBI was meant to unify the country was false.
"If it's about unity, we want to see Raila and Ruto walk together in a show of peace and unity,"
Raila, who delivered his speech during the funeral later, did not respond to Murkomen’s comments.
Instead, he said the country will begin national dialogue on the final recommendations of the BBI report.
Although he did not give timelines, Raila said the BBI taskforce would soon release a clear framework on the dialogue.
In the upcoming initiative, the ODM leader said 500 people would be identified from each of 47 counties to discuss the BBI report and recommend necessary changes.
"In this new initiative, the BBI team will visit all the counties starting with Nyanza and Western regions. We will finally go to the Coast and conclude with Nairobi," Raila said.
In what appeared to be a response to Murkomen, ODM national chairman John Mbadi and Rangwe MP Lilian Gogo said his party had no vested interest in the BBI report.
“There is nowhere ODM has said it wants a parliamentary or presidential system of governance. What we want is good governance that can fight corruption and other ills in the society,” Mbadi said.
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna accused Murkomen of forcing Raila and Uhuru to comply with his demands in the BBI report.
“It is wrong for Murkomen to tell Raila and Uhuru that you must do this or that in the BBI report,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader James Orengo and governors Anyang’ Nyong’o (Kisumu), Wyclief Oparanya (Kakamega) and John Nyagarama urged Kenyans to embrace sobriety in discussions surrounding the BBI report.
“Let us give our views on the BBI report based on pertinent issues to make this country better in future,” Orengo said.
ODM political affairs director Opiyo Wandayi, Homa Bay Woman Rep Gladys Wanga and Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo called on leaders to avoid negative politics in discussing the BBI report.
“I want to challenge all leaders to observe the oath they took in their offices to give Kenyans the right information and services theydeserve,” Wandayi said.