Pastoralists Parliament Group wants BBI to integrate their issues

The Pastoralists Parliament Group (PPG) and the Frontier Counties Development Council (FCDC) have demanded to be heard by the Building Bridges Initiative steering campaign team before the final report is tabled for the referendum.

The leaders including governors and MPs united for the pastoralists’ community and other minority groups in the country said that their grievances were not incorporated in the report, despite airing them out when the BBI team was collecting views from the public.

The leaders represent more than 10 million people residing in 15 counties and represented by 109 MPs.

“We stand together to bring forward our voice and give our irreducible minimums in the BBI report. The BBI report has excluded our detailed presentations to the taskforce and reduced our citizens’ gains on - equity in resource allocation, representation, gender parity, needs of the Persons With Disabilities, and protection of the community land among others,” they said.

These are the issues highlighted by the group:

1. Resource Allocation: The proposed amendment on Article 203 (1) of the constitution be DELETED and Article 203 of the constitution be retained as it is stipulated in the 2010 constitution.
2. Representation: Secure and protect the 290 existing constituencies as they are and entrench them in the constitution. On the proposed additional 70 seats – we demand a distribution that guarantees each of the 47 Counties has at least one slot.

The group opposes the use of party lists in party primaries. Thwy also want the 47 women representatives in the  National Assembly retained.

On community land protection, they said pastoralism is the most viable land use practice in the drylands and pastoralists’ land must be recognized by government and policy-makers as a key factor of production and an important sector to the national economy and peoples’ livelihoods.

Other issues highlighted are:

1. Health Service Commission: The proposal to create the Health Service Commission undermines the gains made by devolution as Health is a devolved function.
2. Equalisation Fund: Increase the sunset clause and restart the 20 year period for the fund from the date of commencement of the fund disbursement for it to achieve original constitutional intent that aimed to equalize infrastructure of marginalized regions.
3. Senate: Propose Senate as an Upper House. The delegation model of voting must be retained. We reject the proposed deletion of Article 123. Senate to approve all constitutional appointments.
4. Judiciary: Independence of the judiciary is paramount to the protection rights of the people of Kenya. We want the Ombudsman proposal to be removed. Independence of the judiciary must be protected through the operationalisation of the Judiciary Fund.
5. IEBC: The independence of the IEBC as an election arbiter is paramount and must be devoid of political party interference.
6. Discrimination: Funds be set aside for registration of persons and issuance of National Identity Cards and other crucial documents to make sure all pastoralists of age are registered and can access services as any other citizen without discriminatory vetting.
7. Education: Guarantee Access to Education as right for the people of North Eastern and ASALS. TSC has withdrawn ALL teachers from North-Eastern counties and no back to school strategies in place, thus putting the future of our children at risk.
8. Pastoralist livelihood: We want to establishment of Livestock Marketing Authority with the capacity of vessels for exporting live animals to competitive markets.

They also reiterated that their voice will enrich the BBI process.

The statement issued on Tuesday was signed by Mandera governor, who is also FCDC chair Ali Roba, Patron Pastoralist Parliamentary Group Aden Duale (Garissa Township MP), Alois Lentoimaga – MP chairman PPG, Rehema Dida Jaldesa – MP and secretary general of PPG, Bashir Abdullahi – MP Vice Chairman PPG and Turkana Governor Josphat Koli Nanok.