Tangatanga MPs unveil BBI rallies timetable

Tangatanga MPs have unveiled their own BBI rallies timetable.

Addressing journalists at the Parliament Buildings on Friday, the legislators said the meetings will not clash with the ongoing BBI rallies.

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali and Kikuyu Town MP Kimani Ichung’wa said the programme does not imply that they will be holding parallel meetings.

Washiali said the legislators will all be in Kitui this Saturday, attend the Nakuru rally on February 8 and Garissa’s on February 9.

“We shall be in Bungoma county on February 14, Meru on February 15, Karatina February 15, Narok February 21, Kirinyaga February 22, Kericho February 28 and Nyandaraua February 29," he said.

Thereafter, they will come up with a schedule for phase two.

After their Naivasha meeting early in the week, the Tangatanga lawmakers had indicated they would hold parallel rallies to those being led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga's camp.

The 173 lawmakers who met on Sunday and Monday in Naivasha termed the rallies an ODM affair out to capture the state.

But on Friday Murkomen said they will first attend the scheduled rallies before moving to other counties to popularise the initiative. He said this way, all Kenyans will be given an opportunity to express their opinions.

The Senate Majority leader said they are putting more emphasis on the Nakuru rally because that is Jubilee’s home ground.

"We expect that President Uhuru Kenyatta, DP William Ruto and the former Prime Minister [Raila] will grace this rally because we have already extended an invite to them,” he said.

“We have already booked Afraha Stadium through the governor and going forward no one will be left behind in all these popularisation rallies.”

The rally has been planned for February 8.

Murkomen said the Nakuru venue means a lot to the Jubilee fraternity as that is where they have "politically cried and made resolutions".

Washiali said the new move is a commitment of the Naivasha meeting.

“Our focus will be on Kenya and things dear to the common man. We therefore particularly appeal to the BBI task force to facilitate its secretariat to capture these views,” he said.

Washiali urged the task force to fast-track the printing of the BBI report for distribution.

“We ask the Interior ministry to support these popularisation meetings by providing adequate security to allow a smooth running,” he added.

Edited by Josephine M. Mayuya