- Leaders say those in support of the initiative should focus on passing the report that unites the country
- But those with opposing views should be respected because that is their constitutional right
Image: EMOJONG OSERE
Image: EMOJONG OSERE
Six MPs have thrown their support behind the Building Bridges Initiative but reiterated no Kenyan should be coerced to support the project.
Every Kenyan has the constitutional right of choosing to support the initiative or oppose it, the lawmakers said.
The leaders’ primary objective, they said, should be to unite the country and help create more opportunities that improve individual economic productivity.
The MPs spoke during the burial of Teso North MP Oku Kaunya’s mother Rebecca Isegere, 91, at Kakemer village. They said forcing Kenyans to support the project would mean the initiative has a sinister political motive.
Wafula Wamunyinyi (Kanduyi, Ford Kenya) said BBI’s principal aim should be to help heal the country from disruptions that follow every electioneering period.
“The objective of BBI is to ensure Kenya enjoys peace. It is meant to bring Kenyans together so that we fight negative politics, corruption, tribalism, theft of public resources and anything that impoverishes Kenyans,” he said.
“BBI is meant to help the common man, the farmers and businesspeople so that we live knowing that Kenya belongs to all of us, that all of us have the right to say Kenya belongs to us.”
He however called on politicians to tone down their rhetoric and address BBI rallies with sobriety and avoid scenes that portray the project as a scheme meant to benefit a few.
Nyakach’s Aduma Owuor said the way forward for Kenya is the BBI, which he said will help end the perennial tribal and regional divisions that are characteristic of Kenya since Independence.
“Kenya has had a lot of challenges. What we need for this country is peaceful co-existence. It is through BBI that we are going to fight injustice,” the ODM MP said.
He recalled last week’s incident in which an AP officer attached to Deputy President William Ruto’s Harambee House Annex office, Sergeant Kipyegon Kenei, was found dead in his house in Nairobi’s Imara Daima’s estate, saying such deaths should be thoroughly investigated and the perpetrators prosecuted.
“Recently, you saw in the press some of our good people losing lives after the arrest of a former minister for Sports. We need more people to pray for this country so that we can deal with this problem of corruption. We are losing people now because people want to kill evidence,” he said.
The MP said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations should get to the bottom of the matter, so that whoever killed the AP officer is identified and brought to book.
Police investigating the case claim the cop committed suicide by shooting himself.
Nimrode Mbai (Kitui East, Jubilee) said what leaders attending BBI rallies should be preaching is respect among Kenyans who, he, said are divided by politicians during elections.
“We just need to have respect for one another. BBI should not leave anyone out. But we should not coerce people to support it,” he said.
Baringo Woman Representative Gladwell Cheruiyot said ordinary Kenyans stand to benefit from BBI which was introduced by President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga for purposes of healing the country that came out of the August 8, 2017 general election and the October 26, 2017 repeat poll sharply divided along tribal lines.
She however said Kenyans should be given time to read the report before making informed decisions about its adoption.
Her sentiments were supported by Mwea legislator Kabinga Wachira who said the project’s aim is to unite Kenyans and create job opportunities for young people.
“BBI will unite all Kenyans. It will create employment for our youth and it will empower the farmers so that they have money in their pockets. As MPs, we have seen the direction that is being taken by others, those out to divide our country, those who thrive on tribalism. We will not support them,” he said.
Kimilili’s Didmus Barasa said there were leaders at the centre of BBI already using the initiative to divide Kenyans. He said such leaders should be ignored by voters.
The first time MP said every Kenyan has the right to attend BBI rallies and leaders dictating on who should or should not attend the initiative’s popularisation meetings has a selfish agenda.
“There are people already using BBI to bring tribalism and to fuel ethnic animosities. I want to tell you such people are more dangerous that the locusts we have in Kenya today,” he said.
“We want peace. We want to have a Kenya where people sit and agree as communities. We want to end tribalism. If BBI is uniting Kenyans then all of us should unite towards developing our country.”
Busia deputy governor Moses Mulomi said leaders and Kenyans should be allowed to either support or oppose BBI.
Other leaders present during the burial included Vihiga deputy governor Patrick Saisi, Uganda’s Tororo South MP Francis Ang’ura, ANC secretary general Barrack Muluka and Katakwa Diocese bishop John Okude.