MPs fault claims of doctored document

A woman follows proceedings during the BBI awareness campaign at Ruring'u Stadium, Nyeri Town, on November 7, 2020. [Kibata Kihu, Standard]

Remarks of a member of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) task force have continued to attract criticism from political leaders allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.

A section of MPs from Central on Saturday dismissed Major (rtd) John Seii’s claims that the BBI report was altered.

Speaking at Ruringu Stadium in Nyeri town constituency during the report’s awareness campaign, Kieni MP Kanini Kega alleged that Seii could be Deputy President William Ruto’s mouthpiece in the BBI debate.

“We saw the DP oppose the report during the launch at the Bomas of Kenya and days later these allegations of doctored document,” said Kega. “That is hypocrisy of the highest level because Seii was aware of everything going on in the committee. The claims are just meant to hoodwink Kenyans,” he added.

Seii claimed that some of the articles in the BBI report were doctored without the knowledge of some task force members.

Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu hosted the town hall meeting attended by former MPs Njenga Mungai (Molo), Tyrus Ngahu (Kangema), and Peter Weru (Mathira), among others.

Clear sign

Wambugu hit out at the DP saying his opposition to the BBI was a clear sign of disrespect to the president.

“We are asking Ruto to wait for his time to come because there is no shortcut to presidency. He has to wait for Uhuru to complete his term,” he said. The MPs said the DP’s recent visit to Nyeri town would not stop them from popularising the document.

“We will have similar meetings in all the constituencies to show them that we are the leaders in charge,” the Nyeri Town MP said.

They said BBI would end the cycle of electoral violence owing to the winner-take-it-all system. “The 2010 Constitution borrows a lot from the US but right now the country’s democracy is on trial. The crisis in the US is because of the winner-take-it-all system,” said Kega.

Kiambu MP Gathoni Wamuchomba said the proposal to have Woman Representatives shift to Senate would enable them to effectively represent the interests of the county.

“Senate is where issues touching on counties are discussed. It is difficult to have the Woman Rep sit in the National Assembly like other MPs representing interests of individual constituencies,” said Wamuchomba.

She further said allocation of resources on basis of population would benefit populous counties.