President Uhuru Kenyatta, African Union envoy Raila Odinga and their allies are set to skip Building Bridges Initiative rallies scheduled for Rift Valley, amid reports of anticipated confrontations.
A report published by The Standard, on Thursday, January 23, indicates that legislators allied to Kenyatta and Odinga arrived at the decision after Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen opposed the head of state's directive to Governor Alex Tolgos (Elgeyo-Marakwet) to spearhead BBI meetings in Rift Valley.
“We may consider skipping the Eldoret meeting to avoid a political clash. We (might) just keep off and let them run the show,” a Jubilee MP seeking anonymity informed the outlet.
This followed Murkomen's announcement that Ruto allies would join BBI meetings to preach peace and unity, with their first stop being Mombasa County on Saturday, January 25. A move that sparked heated debate as questions were raised over their swift u-turn.
Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho warned Murkomen and his brigade to stick to the BBI agenda as reports surfaced that a Ruto ally was planning to ferry 500 delegates to the Coast to counter crowds that would heckle them, just like what was witnessed against Murkomen at the BBI launch in Bomas of Kenya Nairobi on Wednesday, November 27, 2019.
“We know their plan to ferry goons to cause chaos then claim that they have been kicked out of the meetings. We will not fall for their trap,” Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja declared.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Jubilee Nominated MP, David OIe Sankok, refuted the claims that the Ruto-allied leaders were planning to disrupt the event.
"Never shall we witness violence again. That's what the BBI will solve and that is what we stand for. I also do not know what people mean by saying that we made a u-turn. No one has ever opposed the BBI. Show me one person and I will explain to him the importance of BBI," Sankok argued.
However, political analyst, Herman Manyora, warned Ruto allies not to fall into a similar trap as they did with the defunct Punguza Mizigo Bill.
"From Kakamega, we learned that if they don't take care, BBI has been embraced by all other regions apart from the Rift Valley. They will be forced to be in the BBI just like it happened with Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula. They realised that and joined the move but I think Odinga and Kenyatta had anticipated that. That's why the head of state formed a team of governors to lead the BBI rallies.
"If the BBI team do not want Murkomen and his allies to speak, then they can arrange that because they are the ones leading the program. It is a trap for them, because if you are going to dominate meetings in Rift Valley only, then they are making you announce to the world that you only have influence in your region, just like I warned them with Punguza Mizigo, as they were the only region to pass it," Manyora opined while speaking with Kenyans.co.ke.
In Central Kenya, Kenyatta is reported to intend to take charge of the meetings to tame leaders supposedly intending to cause disruptions.
