Chama cha Mashinani party leader Isaac Rutto has announced the start of collection of more than 200, 000 signatures in Bomet and Kericho counties in support of the BBI constitutional amendment.
Rutto said the process to be completed on Wednesday will be spearheaded by chiefs and their assistant chiefs in their administrative areas.
The administrators, he said, will be moving around the villages collecting the signatures from the residents while at the same educating them on the need to change the Constitution.
The exercise, which he stated is voluntary and open to all voters, will be done with the help of youth leaders.
“This is an open exercise and open to all voters. No one will be coerced in any way to sign and we are asking our people to turn out and support it,” he stated.
Rutto who is leading the drive in the region alongside Kanu secretary general Nick Salat expressed optimism that by Wednesday they will have collected more than 200,000 signatures in the two counties.
Speaking during the launch of the exercise at a Bomet hotel, the former Bomet governor said the planned constitutional change through the Building Bridges Initiative will be non-contested.
He said the forms have already been delivered to the administrators for the start of the exercise.
Rift Valley is considered Deputy President William Ruto’s base where he wields massive support and it remains to be seen if leaders and residents from the region will support the initiative.
Ruto is calling for a consensus to avoid a non-contested referendum, asking the proponents to go slow and harmonise the draft to ensure the concerns by all stakeholders are factored in to avert a contestation.
The former Bomet governor was accompanied by Knut secretary general Wilson Sossion, Chepalungu MP Gideon Koskei, National Vision Party elections director Benard Koros, former Buret MP Paul Sang and Nyangores MCA Andrew Maritim.
Bomet governor Hillary Barchok was not involved. Others present were county commissioner Susan Waweru and deputy county commissioners.
