• Senator Poghisio says the document contains beenefits for the pastoralists and called out the Duale-led group for building a case to oppose BBI.
• Fatuma Gedi says the Duale camp wants to incite pastoralist communities against the rest of Kenyans.
Image: FILE
The leadership of the pastoralist communities is divided over the push to amend the Constitution through the Building Bridges Initiative.
A faction led by Senate Majority leader Samuel Poghisio supports the initiative while another headed by Aden Duale says it will reject the BBI report if its "irreducible minimums" are not incorporated in the document.
Duale, who is the Garissa Township MP and former National Assembly Majority leader, said on Tuesday, “We will be lying to Kenyans and our parties if we say that the pastoralists’ family is happy with the BBI report as it is.”
The MP is the patron of the Pastoralists Parliamentary Group. He regretted that their presentations to the BBI task force were ignored.
“Nothing, not even a comma of our presentation, was captured in the BBI report,” he said.
The leaders want the BBI report to establish a Livestock Authority. They also want the Senate strengthened with a delegation voting mode and made the upper house with veto powers on constitutional appointments.
At Parliament Buildings on Thursday, the Poghisio-led faction accused their colleagues of attempting to divide the communities with 'selfish' political interests.
“We just want people to leave pastoralists alone. We have suffered for long. This document is here to protect our interests and bring the pastoralist community to the negotiating table,” the West Pokot senator said.
He said the document contains benefits for pastoralists and called out their colleagues for trying to build a case to oppose BBI.
“If we look at the document with open minds, I believe the aim of BBI will help us,” he said.
He was flanked by MPs Teddy Mwambire (Ganze), Elijah Memusi (Kajiado Central), Moitalel ole Kenta (Narok North), William Kamket (Tiaty) and Ali Wario (Garsen), and Woman Reps Fatima Gedi (Wajir) and Gladwell Cheruiyot (Baringo).
Gedi accused the Duale group of attempting to incite the pastoralist communities against other Kenyans. Pastoralists occupy about 14 counties.
“There might be issues but they cannot be addressed through chest-thumping. We don’t expect the document to be 100 per cent perfect. Let’s not use BBI report for our selfish interests,” she said.
Kamket dismissed the 'irreducible minimums' of their colleagues as selfish and an attempt to split the communities.
“There is no Constitution for pastoralists and another for other Kenyans. We have seen their game and we will not allow them to divide the pastoralist communities to pursue their political agenda,” he said.
The leaders said that just like other Kenyans, pastoralists stand to gain in the proposed amendment to the Constitution.
“Pastoralists are Kenyans. They use the same Constitution. If the BBI says counties will get 35 per cent of national revenue, pastoralists counties have not been left behind,” Kenta said.
Memusi said, “BBI is the best thing that has ever happened to this country. BBI has looked at serious issues that affect our people.”
(Edited by F. Mwaniki)