Nakuru governor to return seized referendum booklets to Cord
Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua addresses journalists at the county headquarters on September 18, 2014. He accused his Kericho counterpart Governor Paul Chepkwony of interfering with his county by importing referendum registers. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Nakuru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua on Thursday said referendum signature registers confiscated in different parts of Nakuru would be returned to Cord offices in the neighbouring Kericho County.
Mr Mbugua said that he would send back the referendum booklets to the "owner" with a message that the people of Nakuru do not need a referendum now.
A carton full of the documents was confiscated in Mariashoni, Nakuru County, after a tip-off from members of the public that some "strangers" were distributing the books.
The distributors were moving around mobilising the public to append their signatures by promising to help them reclaim their land, the governor said.
Mr Mbugua told politicians to desist from using unorthodox methods to hoodwink members of the public.
He accused some politicians from neighbouring counties who, he claimed, had hired some of the youth to distribute the plebiscite booklets.
SELFISH INTERESTS
The governor said that the county needs peace at this time to enable residents to rebuild "bridges" that would enable them to co-exist peacefully.
"Selfish interests of a few people should not hold us at ransom and we urge politicians should watch their tongues carefully before making inciting utterances” the deputy governor, Mr Joseph Ruto, said.
The two leaders said their decision not to support the referendum push was aimed at enabling residents to live together peacefully.
Nakuru URP chairman Mr Joseph Bett told Kericho Governor Professor Paul Chepkwony and his Bomet counterpart Mr Isaac Ruto to stop meddling in issues affecting Nakuru County.
He accused the two leaders of working with Cord, pretending that they were pushing for Pesa Mashinani, the referendum call by governors for more cash in the counties.
In addition, Mr Ruto told leaders to stop using the issue of the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to undermine the government.
He urged the governors traversing the counties to drum up support for Pesa Mashinani to stop wasting their energy in Nakuru as they would not succeed in the county.
