Former councillors from Nyanza have asked the government to fast-track the payment of their Sh1.5 million gratuities and begin remitting their Sh30,00 monthly pension.
The councillors' chair Joseph Ogut said their members were dying due to old age and asked the government to release the funds to them for medical purposes.
“It has been our wish to receive this money during our lifetime,” he said.
Speaking in Kisumu on Saturday, they said they will not tire in following up their retirement package.
Ogut called upon ODM leader Raila Odinga to convene a national meeting with the former civic leaders to plan how to roll out Building Bridges Initiative campaigns.
“It is our request to Raila to bring us together, we sit down and discuss how to popularise BBI,” he said.
The ex-councillors' demands follow a 2018 motion by Laikipia Senator John Kinyua granting them the benefits. The motion was approved by the Senate.
This followed the adoption of a report tabled by Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare chairman Stewart Madzayo on February 16, 2016.
Jim Ondicho, a former councilor from Nyamira, noted that BBI ought to have spelt out clearly how it intends to address their issues.
Ondicho said BBI will be useful to them if their send-off package and monthly allowances are catered for.
“We are living in abject poverty and it is upon the national government to give the okay for our money,” he said.
Ondicho said BBI was the best tool to address their grievances and it is upon President Uhuru Kenyatta and his handshake partner Raila to help them out.
Agnes Nyagol, the former councillor of Kolwa Central in Kisumu, said BBI has abandoned them in their quest to seek financial support.
Nyagol noted that they will not make any demands on the national government in order to support BBI, but will continue to push the state to fulfill its pledge.
“We are supporting BBI even though it is only talking about youth, women and PLWDs; where are old people and former councilors in this BBI?” she asked.
Casper Gichana, the group's Nyanza regional treasurer, said they worked hard during their tenure and it is proper that their package is released.
“We did a lot of work, roads, schools and other buildings in the former county councils. Our work still stands in the community,” he said.
