Mt Kenya BBI rally fails to bridge pro-handshake, Ruto teams’ gap

Divisions in Mt Kenya played out during the first Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) rally in the vote-rich region when allies of Deputy President William Ruto and those supporting the handshake clashed in Meru Saturday.

MPs allied to Dr Ruto led by Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen said politicians should stop lying to Kenyans that the BBI report will solve Kenya’s economic challenges.

Mr Murkomen stated that respecting the President comes in hand with respecting his deputy.

“We were elected so that we can help solve issues of members of the public. Money was allocated to do so, therefore stop lying to Kenyans that the BBI, will solve the economic problems. If we want to have the BBI, we must first accept the truth that, the people of Mt Kenya and the people of Kenya voted for President Uhuru Kenyatta. Let us stop this political conmanship,” he said.

Mr Murkomen, Moses Kuria (Gatundu South), Patrick Munene (Chuka-Igambang'ombe) and John Muchiri (Manyatta), who had not been reserved sitting space at the main podium, later stormed out of the meeting.

Former Jubilee Party vice-chairman David Murathe said that once the new political dispensation envisaged in BBI report is enforced, President Kenyatta who is set to retire after his second and final term in office will have to rethink his stand.

“Do you want President Kenyatta to leave power to a thief? That will not happen,” Mr Murathe said. He (Murathe) has previously accused the DP, who seemed certain to get the region's endorsement for the presidential contest, of being corrupt and unfit to lead the country.

Politicians from the region, which for the first time since 1992 looks set to be without a serious presidential contender, have declared the region will not be banished from power because whoever wants its support must offer the region prime slots on the high table.

The region’s leadership insisted the Gikuyu, Meru and Embu (Gema) communities must play its cards well to ensure it has a stake in the next government, whoever forms it.

They spoke at Kinoru Stadium in Meru during the BBI rally where ODM Leader Raila Odinga was the chief guest.

The message from the speakers at the rally was uniform and clear — that President Kenyatta’s central backyard going forward will solidly rally behind him in any political decision he makes.

Among other proposals include the introduction of the proportional presentation system which they said will help them gain political power in proportion to their numbers.

They advocated for one man, one vote, one shilling system which leaders like Laikipia Governor Ndiritu Muriithi said would resolve the region’s funding hitches.

Delegates from Meru, Embu, Tharaka-Nithi, Laikipia, Murang’a, Kiambu, Nakuru, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Nairobi and Nyandarua counties attended the rally.

And while they declared that Mr Kenyatta’s influence cannot be ruled out just yet, their political history of voting to secure their interests will repeat itself.

The meeting lends credence to a well-oiled campaign to use the handshake and the BBI to turn the tables on the DP across all Mt Kenya counties.

There has been disquiet in the region that Dr Ruto has tried to deliberately undermine the President’s political clout and influence in Mt Kenya so that the region supports him directly rather than through Mr Kenyatta.

The anti-Ruto juggernaut bringing together politicians and wealthy businessmen from Mt Kenya under the Mt Kenya Foundation which heavily funded the rally, could jolt the DP's camp as the BBI wave continues to gather storm.

Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi and Baringo Senator Gideon Moi said President Kenyatta had mooted the BBI idea to benefit the Gema community after the next polls.

Senator Moi described the Kenyatta-Odinga political pact as a “sure bet”. Governor Murungi in sharp metaphoric Kimeru language said the region was open to political alliances with other regions.

“Mr Odinga found crocodiles in river Jordan on the way to Canaan. But president has cleared them and the journey continues,” he said.

In the Meru rally, it emerged that the fact that without an obvious choice of a leader to succeed President Kenyatta as the region’s political kingpin, different politicians could be looking outside for one.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya, a fierce Ruto critic, declared that the game of political brinkmanship must be stopped at all costs.

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and his Nyandarua counterpart Francis Kimemia vouched for an end to the scenario of winner-takes-all elections, signalling support for the expansion of the Executive to introduce posts of Prime Minister and two deputies.

In yesterday’s rally, Mt Kenya region leaders presented a 10-point demand to the BBI task force.