DP Ruto vows to stop 'ethnic-driven' BBI rallies

DP William Ruto (second left) at a funds drive at Gatunduri Full Gospel Church in Embu County yesterday. [Joseph Muchiri, Standard]

Deputy President William Ruto has cautioned leaders against fanning negative ethnicity in Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) rallies.

Speaking when he attended Sunday service at Gatunduri Full Gospel Church in Embu County, Dr Ruto said some of the utterances in the BBI rally in Narok last weekend fuelled negative ethnicity.

"If the kind of reggae and tsunami they are talking about is that of profiling ethnicity and hatred among the communities, we will stop that reggae," he said. 

The DP called for sober, inclusive and objective conversation on all proposals contained in the BBI report to ensure the views of all Kenyans count and create a win-win outcome.

Ruto was accompanied by MPs Moses Kuria (Gatundu), Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira), Muriuki Njagagua (Mbeere North), Ndindi Nyoro (Kiharu), Geoffrey King’ang’i (Mbeere South), John Muchiri (Manyatta), Eric Muchangi (Runyenjes), Embu Woman Representative Jane Wanjuki and Embu County Assembly Speaker Josiah Thiriku.

Mr Kuria said the leaders were opposed to some of the proposals in the BBI report, including having MPs elect the president as opposed to citizens. He said MPs had in the past shown they can be compromised.

He described the BBI rallies as a waste of time.

Mr Gachagua warned that unless the BBI rallies were carefully thought out, they might divide the country, citing the Narok rally, which he said profiled two communities against the rest.

Mr Muchiri claimed some people had hijacked the BBI report and wanted to craft it in a way that favours them.

Mr King’ang’i and Mr Njagagua said they stood by the BBI draft that was unveiled at the Bomas of Kenya, and would reject anything else.

Ndindi claimed leaders allied to Ruto were being targeted for victimisation and accused BBI rallies of polarising the country.

"When you stand at a BBI rally and say that a person from a particular community cannot buy land in a particular area, what you are preaching is hatred and divisive politics," he said.