Political fireworks are expected at Mama Ngina grounds in Mombasa on Saturday, as the county hosts the third Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) rally pitting groups supporting President Uhuru Kenyatta and former premier Raila Odinga on one side against Deputy William Ruto’s camp.
Already the Uhuru-Raila camp has issued a warning against the Ruto group saying they should “stop imposing conditions for participating in the meeting.”
On Wednesdy, proponents of BBI led by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohammed, Nairobi Senator Johnstone Sakaja, Kieni MP Kanini Kega and Wajir Woman Rep Fatuma Gedi said the DP allies were welcome “but should come with clean hands.”
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Speaking separately, Joho, who was flanked by MPs Omar Mwinyi (Changamwe), Abdulswamad Sharrif (Mvita), Mishi Mboko (Kisauni) and Mishi Mboko (Likoni) said they will not entertain any “conditions” from those with opposing ideologies.
Joho said the BBI proponents will hold a delegates meeting on Friday at the Wild Waters Center before the public rally at the Tononoka grounds on Saturday.
“We are prepared to host the event. We will hold a delegates meeting on Friday and then hold the rally on Saturday. What we will not accept is pre-conditions from anyone coming to the meeting,” he said yesterday.
Junet said Ruto allies had “finally seen the light”, insisting that BBI is about uniting Kenyans and bringing prosperity.
On Tuesday, Ruto’s allies led by Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen announced they will join the BBI campaign trail beginning with the Tononoka meeting purposefully to “re-direct the BBI conversation to people-centric issues such as the economy, unemployment, social justice, rule of law and human rights.”
Succession politics The DP’s lieutenants who have been critical of BBI rallies that kicked off in Kisii and Kakamega two weeks ago vowed to take charge of the meetings where necessary not to allow the document to be used to drum up support for 2022 succession politics.
Analysts have termed the change of tune by Ruto’s allies as a smart move saying it will deny the ODM brigade an opportunity to use the BBI wave to their advantage.
“The Ruto side are smart because they were quick to realise that by turning their backs on the BBI meetings, it would have been an advantage to the rival camps because they would have used the meetings to influence Kenyans opinion on BBI issues,” Prof. Hassan Mwakimako of Pwani University.
Meanwhile, the BBI steering committee has said it is finalising its own programme of consultations in the eight major regions of Kenya to receive the consolidated views of Kenyans.
In a statement signed by BBI joint secretaries Martin Kimani and Paul Mwangi, the team said the Steering Committee will send members and its technical experts to all forums it agrees to attend so that they can explain the contents of the report and respond to the queries raised by participants.
