Kiunjuri gives conditions for BBI support from Mt Kenya

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri speaks at Kahiraini Catholic Church in Nyeri County on July 14, 2019. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Kiunjuri said on Sunday that the BBI should be fair to everyone in order to win support from a majority of the region.
  • The CS said Mt Kenya is not properly represented in the National Assembly, another issue he said the BBI should address.
  • Mr Kiunjuri reiterated his call for unity days after three Mt Kenya lawmakers said they want him to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta as Mt Kenya kingpin.

Mt Kenya leaders and residents will only support the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) if it ensures equal distribution of resources to all regions, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri has said.

Mr Kiunjuri said on Sunday that the BBI should be fair to everyone in order to win support from a majority of the region.

"We have no problem with the BBI but it must ensure national resources benefit all people equally," he told worshipers at St Paul Anglican Church in Embu County.

REPRESENTATION

The CS said Mt Kenya is not properly represented in the National Assembly, another issue he wants the BBI to address.

"All what we want is for all constituencies to have equal representation in the National Assembly. Some constituencies are big and highly populated but have a few MPs," he said.

He further asked the region's leaders to unite and speak with one voice for Mt Kenya to develop.

"Unless we work together, our region will lag behind in development," he said.

KINGPIN

Mr Kiunjuri reiterated his call for unity days after three Mt Kenya lawmakers said they want him to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta as Mt Kenya kingpin.

MPs Kabinga Wathayu (Mwea), Munene Wambugu (Kirinyaga Central) and Zachary Thuku (Kinangop) described Mr Kiunjuri as a seasoned leader capable of uniting all others in the region.

They said the region needs a vibrant person such as the CS to fight for the people's rights.

In his response to the call, Mr Kiunjuri told the leaders to unite in the fight for equal allocation of resources.

The Public Officer Ethics Act says "a public officer shall refrain from active politics except for exercising his/her right to vote at elections" and that "he/she shall not publicly express his/her personal views on political matters".

REPORT

At the church on Sunday, Embu Woman Representative Jane Wanjuki said the region's leaders will only make the right decision about the BBI once the taskforce releases the report.

"We want the proposals released so we can know whether to support it or not," she said, advising the leaders not to blindly support a document before seeing or reading it.

Ruguru Ngandori Ward Representative Muturi Mwombo said they were eagerly waiting for the report.

"We shall only back or reject the BBI after reading its proposals," he said.