What Tanga Tanga BBI demanded in the Naivasha retreat

Jubilee MPs (Left) David Sankok (Nominated), Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), Purity Ngirici (Kirinyaga Woman Rep) and George Theuri (Embakasi West) follow proceedings during a two day Jubilee Party Retreat at Lake Naivasha Resort. The legislators said they will hold separate BBI rallies starting with Nakuru next month as part of efforts to popularise the initiative to Kenyans. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

Members of Parliament allied to Deputy President William Ruto yesterday drafted a list of demands calling for a shift in the manner in which Building Bridges Initiative meetings are being held.

During their retreat in Naivasha, the MPs who were led by the Senate Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen maintained that they were not against the BBI but were unimpressed by the manner in which the meetings were conducted.

 They accused the ODM party of hijacking the BBI meetings to popularise their leader Raila Odinga ahead of the 2022 election.

A press statement from the DP-allied faction shared by Senator Murkomen partly states: “We fully support the BBI Report in all its statements as presented in Bomas. That position has not changed.”

“However, since the task force is collecting further views on the document to develop the implementation framework, we commit to actively participate and also engage Mwananchi so that we ensure that issues therein remain people-centered.”

But the authority of the retreat was cast in doubt after Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju said that it failed the bar of merit to be branded a Parliamentary Group meeting.

“However, for the avoidance of doubt, this is to clarify that such a meeting cannot and will never qualify to be referred to as a Parliamentary Group meeting of the party,” Tuju said yesterday.

The group resolved to hold its parallel BBI rallies to counter the other rallies spearheaded by ODM MPs and other Jubilee politicians belonging to Kieleweke camp.

The faction aims to hold its first rally at Afraha Stadium in Nakuru on February 8, just hours before their rivals hold their s in the same town.

They have made various demands and recommendations to the task force planning the BBI rallies and gathering views. They include:

·         Tanga Tanga to hold its parallel BBI meetings but maintain its support to the BBI Report as was presented in Bomas of Kenya to the public.

·         Tanga Tanga to mobilise, participate and encourage Kenyans to attend the rallies.

·         Faction to push for inclusion of other stakeholders such as farmers, youth, businessmen, religious groups and civil society.

·         Rallies to promote greater participation for the understanding of the document.

·         Senator Yusuf Haji and the BBI taskforce committee to release scheduled public engagements in constituencies and counties.

·         3.5 per cent of national revenue be allocated to the Judiciary for its funding.

·         Inclusion of minority communities in the constitutional dispensation must form the BBI debate.

·         Mwananchi economic and social fund be entrenched in the constitution with 15 per cent of the national revenue. This is to deal with price fluctuations affecting farmers, supporting young graduates from technical institutions and small and medium-sized businesses.