Ugunja Legislator Opiyo Wandayi Saturday called on members of the Building Bridges Initiative committee to stop side shows and lead the way in ensuring that their recommendations win the support of Kenyans.
Wandayi who was speaking at Muhola village, Yiro West sub location, Ugunja Sub County during the burial of his uncle, the late Mathews Opiyo Josiah, said that the BBI train has already left the station, with the energy now being devoted to collection of signatures and preparation of the requisite bills to be tabled before the County Assemblies and Parliament.
“We want to tell members of the BBI steering committee to spare us the shenanigans. Anybody in his right senses who has undertaken a task as serious as preparing the BBI report and gone ahead to sign it cannot turn around and disown the very report that the republic has been waiting for all this time,” said the legislator.
The MP who is also the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee in the National Assembly said the country was not prepared for side shows and was focusing on the unity of the nation.
“What we are currently doing is to put up the bill and mechanisms for collection of requisite signature that will be forwarded to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Review Commission (IEBC),” he said adding that IEBC would be expected to put in place innovative mechanisms that would verify the signatures within the shortest time possible.
He called on leaders of all walks of life to help sensitize Kenyans on the contents of the BBI so that by the time referendum is undertaken, the document will receive overwhelming support.
Wandayi also called on Siaya County leadership to close ranks and spearhead the BBI campaigns without waiting to be prodded.
He said that Ugunja Sub County has already taken the lead in this regard and was targeting not less than 99 per cent “Yes Votes” during the referendum.
A member of the 14-member taskforce that steered the BBI, major (retired) John Seii was this week quoted in the media claiming that the final report was tampered with and that members of the task force were not given a chance to read it before appending their signatures.
By Philip Onyango
