Central leaders want BBI speeded up
Central Region Economic Bloc governors from left: Martin Wambora, Kiraitu Murungi, Francis Kimemia, and Nderitu Muriithi address the media at a Nairobi hotel on October 29, 2019. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The council of governors has been pushing for increased resource allocation to the counties.
- The Governor stressed that President Kenyatta knows what is good for the region and the legislators should listen to him.
Four governors from Mt Kenya region have urged President Kenyatta to facilitate the publication of the Building Bridges Initiative as soon as possible to reduce political tension even as they pleaded with Kenyans to remain calm and await release of the report.
They spoke in Nairobi as Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru rebuked Mt Kenya BBI critics, saying, their stand is akin to disrespecting President Kenyatta, who is the region’s kingpin.
REDUCE SPECULATION
While the four county chiefs hailed the initiative, saying its intentions are good for the country, the leaders expressed concern that the report was already attracting heated, potentially divisive, debate. They asked Kenyans to be patient until the report is released.
“We appeal to our leaders to publish the report as soon as possible to reduce speculation, emotions and innuendoes, which could undermine the good intentions of the BBI,” the governors said in a statement read by Nyandarua’s Francis Kimemia.
Mr Kimemia is the chairman of Central Region Economic Bloc (Cereb). He was accompanied by Mr Kiraitu Murungi (Meru), Martin Wambora (Embu) and Nderitu Muriithi (Laikipia). The governors said they will wait for the publication of the report and once published, they will examine it in detail, discuss it objectively and support it if it satisfies the interests of the people of the region.
“If it doesn’t, we shall reject it,” Mr Kimemia said.
INCLUSIVE COUNTRY
Mr Murungi supported the nine-point agenda that underpins the BBI, saying, every Kenyan has an interest in living in a united and inclusive county free of corruption.
“There is too much talk on a report on whose content no one has seen. There is no need for us to quarrel because every Kenyan will have a chance to contribute and offer suggestions on the report,” Mr Murungi said.
He added: “We have been calm for nine months and a little more time will not hurt. Let Kenyans be calm and wait for the report.”
The council of governors has been pushing for increased resource allocation to the counties.
While the council has not given the quantum of the increase they wish to see in the BBI report, the four leaders said this is a critical issue that will have a bearing on their position on the report.
“We’re representatives of the people, and as governors, we want to see BBI recommending more resources to the grassroots and the process of releasing the funds from the national Treasury speeded up,” Mr Murungi said.
