The BBI is not about stopping Deputy President William Ruto from running for president in next year's general elections, Elgeyo Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos has said.
The governor said proposals contained in the Building Bridges Initiative will benefit all Kenyans. He said it will be unfortunate if Rift Valley residents reject BBI because they think it is about stopping Ruto from running for the presidency.
Tolgos is the chairman of the BBI process in the Rift Valley. He urged the region to back the report.
“There is this perception in our region that the BBI is about 2022 politics and blocking some politicians from their ambitions. The truth is that the BBI and 2022 politics are very different issues which should not be mixed up,” Tolgos said.
He said BBI benefits will go beyond 2022 and are not linked to individual leaders. Tolgos said the BBI will not be forced on Rift Valley residents.
He spoke in Eldoret where he met BBI coordinators from counties in the North Rift including Baringo, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Trans Nzoia, Elgeyo Marakwet and Turkana.
Tolgos urged residents to read the document and allow civic education so that they are able to make informed decisions before either rejecting or supporting the BBI.
He said misinformation had caused low acceptance of the BBI in the region which is largely considered Ruto’s political stronghold.
“With time, things are changing and most of our people are now embracing the BBI due to better understanding of provisions in it,” Tolgos said.
The meeting was to plan on how the coordinators will roll out civic education on the BBI in the region.
He was with BBI North Rift coordinators including former Assistant Minister Stephen Tarus and director of the Kenya Farmers Association Kipkorir Menjo.
Kanu party officials were also present.
Tolgos said they will widely circulate the BBI booklets in the region, so that residents can read for themselves.
Tarus said there had been a lot of misinformation on the BBI in the region but promised they will go out to explain to the residents the benefits in the proposals.
“BBI is about the people, it’s about change, reforms, fair representation and economic empowerment. BBI will strengthen devolution and it will spur economic growth through sectors like agriculture,” Tarus said.
The former MP said individual interests should not be allowed to override the benefits contained in the BBI. He asked those opposed to the document to think about the people and the future of the country and not about themselves.
“I see no other way to give this country a better future other than the BBI."
Edited by P.O
