Kalonzo to lead Wiper leaders to Mombasa BBI meeting

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka will marshal and lead his party members to attend the Building Bridges Initiative meeting to be held at Tononoka Grounds in Mombasa on Saturday, the party has revealed.

In a press release signed by Wiper's head of communication who doubles as Kalonzo’s spokesperson Onesmus Kilonzo; the party revealed that it will take part in the Saturday BBI meeting.

“Mr Musyoka will be accompanied by several MPs and MCAs, mainly from his Wiper Party, who has also been drumming up support for the initiative in various parts of the country,” Kilonzo said.

The party has, however, defended Musyoka for failing to attend past BBI meetings in Kisii and Kakamega counties.

“Mr Musyoka’s absence in the past two BBI forums in Kisii and Kakamega has been due to commitments to official duty that have seen him out of the country during the two events, owing to his position as Kenya’s Special Envoy to South Sudan,” the party added in its statement.

The meeting, which will be the third forum on the calendar of the BBI organisers could bring together various political leaders with different views.

On Tuesday, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen led Tanga Tanga members allied to the Deputy President William Ruto in a press conference and declared that they will also be attending the meeting.

“I would like to welcome all leaders to the BBI meeting in Mombasa this Saturday. We shall be focusing on the unity and development of this country and not sideshows about 2022 and discussing individuals,” he posted on his Twitter page yesterday.

The legislators allied to the DP have in the past criticised the meetings saying that they are a waste of public funds.

“We are opposed to the use of public funds in the organised BBI rallies unless appropriated by Parliament or county assemblies. Our participation and organisation of BBI rallies shall be through personal contributions,” said Murkomen, while referring to the BBI rally which happened at Kakamega's Bukhungu Stadium last weekend.

Their declaration to attend the meeting elicited a quick reaction from pro-Handshake MPs from ODM and some Jubilee legislators.

Yesterday, Suna East MP Junet Mohamed, Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja and Kieni MP Kanini Kega addressed a press conference in which they warned the Tanga Tanga outfit against disrupting the meeting.

Sakaja stated that they had read the gameplan of the Tanga Tanga side and that their plans would fail.

He claimed that the Murkomen-led team could be planning chaos at the meeting with an intention of blaming the BBI meeting organisers after being evicted from the venue.

However, Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho said that all leaders are welcome despite their varied opinions.

He tweeted: “This coming Saturday I welcome all Kenyans and leaders irrespective of their affiliations to join us at Tononoka Grounds, Mombasa as we further forge our focus on the productive agenda of the BBI that aims to help our nation achieve shared prosperity.”