Wa Iria skips BBI preparation meetings over 'secrecy'

Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria has explained why he missed three key meetings earlier this week ahead of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) rally in Meru County on Saturday.

Governor Wa Iria was a no-show at meetings including one of county bosses with Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga at his Capitol Hill offices in Nairobi County.

Governors Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga), Kiraitu Murungi (Meru), Muthomi Njuki (Tharaka-Nithi), Francis Kimemia (Nyandarua), Murithi Ndiritu (Laikipia) and Martin Wambora (Embu) attended.

SPECIAL APPROACH

In an interview with the Nation, Governor Wa Iria also noted that he would not attend Thursday's meeting of Murang'a delegates at Thika Greens Hotel.

He said his approach to the initiative entails holding public meetings in order to get the people's honest views, instead of selecting a few people to meet in "closed hotels".

“Murang’a is the only county in Kenya that has held a youth engagement meeting, which about 10,000 attended and gave their views on the BBI. On Thursday, more will attend to air their views in a highly publicised event," he said.

“This is the best [way to engage] with ordinary Kenyans [so they can] express themselves what is best for them and discuss how best they want to be governed, not unorthodox ways where picked people meet in hotels and late night meetings to discuss the BBI. My approach is simple, open and realistic,” he told the Nation in an interview.

REPORT DETAILS

The governor wondered why some people decided to meet behind closed doors yet President Uhuru Kenyatta’s wish was for all Kenyans to have the chance to read the BBI report.

“During the launch of the report at Bomas, the President clearly stated that it was the turn of Kenyans to scrutinise it and include their views," he said.

"We can’t have engagements in high end hotels. They should be done in a public arena and there should no hand-picking of those will attend. The Thika Greens meeting is done in secrecy ... some leaders determine who will attend and who will not."

He said he feared cartels were out to hijack the BBI process and use it to advance their succession plans.

KIRINYAGA BOYCOTT

The Meru rally is of delegates from Meru Embu, Tharaka-Nithi, Laikipia, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Murang’a and Kiambu counties.

Delegates from Kirinyaga County also met on Thursday to come up with resolutions for the BBI team ahead of a rally in Meru on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, Governor Waiguru said the meeting would adopt a memorandum of resolutions they want adopted.

However, all the five MPs from the county - Munene Wambugu (Kirinyaga Central), George Kariuki (Ndia), Gichimu Githinji (Gichugu), Kabinga Wathayu  (Mwea) and Wangui Ngirici (Woman Representative) gave the meeting at Sagana a wide berth.