The Party of the National Unity (PNU) has organized forums to educate the public about details contained in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report.
Officials of the party have vowed to move to various counties and shed light about the report so as to enable the public to make decisions about the proposed constitutional amendments.
The national chairman of the party David Kamau has said they will first deal with counties within Mount Kenya region, an area where it is claimed residents are against the report.
Kamau speaking in Murang’a on Wednesday observed that already they have done public participations in counties of Laikipia, Nyeri and Meru.
“Today we are here in Murang’a thereafter we will be moving to Kirinyaga, Kiambu, Embu and Tharaka Nithi counties. We will also go to Nakuru and Kajiado,” he added.
The chairman underscored the proposed constitutional changes in the BBI saying Kenyans need to be well educated about the document so that they may reject something which is of great benefit.
He said the increased allocation of funds to counties will unlock development implementation noting that currently counties have been unable to achieve much.
“The money which remains with the national government, part of it needs to be increased to counties. People at grassroots know what projects need to be given priority and with availability of funds the developments will be implemented,” he added.
He continued “As a person who understands the law the document is meant for the future where there will be additional resources to the counties from 15 percent to 35 percent.”
The public participation was held when Murang’a County Assembly is set to collect views about the document at every sub-county headquarters starting from Thursday.
Organizing secretary of the party Mr. Thomas Kariuki said the amendments will strengthen devolution as the MCAs will have a development kitty under their control.
“This is a process that Kenyans will be taken through ahead of the national referendum that will be conducted by IEBC,” said Kariuki.
He challenged people from the Mount Kenya region to support the BBI saying it will benefit the area more than other parts of the country.
Allocation of resources based on population, Kariuki added, is a perimeter which has been ignored for long, making people of the central region disadvantaged.
On Tuesday, Governor Mwangi wa Iria held a meeting with MPs and MCAs where issues on the support of the constitutional amendments were deliberated.
The Governor said he will be in charge of public participation meetings in the county, to ensure Murang’a people fully understand the reasons to support it.
Meanwhile hundreds of Nanyuki residents turned up for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) sensitization forum held on Wednesday at the Nanyuki social hall where they were taken through a summarized version of the document.
The daylong forum spearheaded by Members of the Laikipia County Assembly saw close to 2,000 local residents turn up at the venue to get copies of BBI and learn about its contents.
Also present was former Mungiki sect leader Maina Njenga who is also a self-proclaimed champion of the BBI in Laikipia who implored on the MCAs to pass the document once its brought for debate at the floor of the house.
“Any Member of Laikipia County Assembly who will oppose passage of the Building Bridges Initiative motion should not contemplate leaving that House,” Njenga warned.
Njenga however did not specify the action that would be taken against any MCA who oppose the motion that was tabled at the House last week.
While supporting the document, Njenga said people should not support the BBI document with a certain leader or community in mind.
“This is a document for posterity of the nation, it’s not meant to elevate certain individuals or communities to some imaginary positions of leadership. It is like a will that a parent leaves for his children. This is a will President Uhuru Kenyatta is leaving for us all.” Njenga said.
The majority of MCA’s who attended the forum said they would support the motion on the floor of the House.
by Bernard Munyao
