MP asks Mt.Kenya leaders not to politicize BBI
Parliamentary Labour and Social Welfare Chairman Peter Mwathi has called upon both leaders and residents from Mt.Kenya region to depoliticize contents of the Building Bridges Initiatives (BBI).
He prevailed upon them to keep President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy William Ruto and the Orange Democratic Movement(ODM) party leader Raila Odinga out of the document's picture which he noted captures the regions interests particularly on increased resources.
Mwathi who is the Limuru Member of Parliament said the region is more than disadvantaged in revenue allocation particularly bursaries noting that in other areas, learners receive bursary of close to 50,000 shillings while in most constituencies of central region they get as little as 3000 shillings because of the high population of applicants.
He called upon leaders from the region to also keep aside their political differences and embark on vigorous BBI civic education so that locals can make informed decisions during the referendum.
"Its a high time for us leaders to keep our Kieleweke and Tanga Tanga tags aside and reason together for the sake of our people. President Uhuru can't shepherd us to hell, he knows that once he leaves office, our interests might be trampled on unless they are enshrined in the constitution,"he said.
Mwathi said that leaders should walk and reason together, now, and then start politicking in June after the referendum.
He spoke in Limuru town on Monday when he issuing bursary cheques worth 30 million shillings to 7,337 secondary school students when he announced that even successful applicants who had become pregnant during the 9 months of schools closure would still benefit.
He said that the area bursary benefits applicants from across the board as long as they are needy.
"I don't give bursary to bright students only. I give it to all the needy applicants because some perform poorly due to unavoidable financial circumstances and might become bright if given an opportunity," he said.
The MP at the same time castigated Senate Chief Whip Irungu Kangata for disregarding protocol to address Uhuru saying that the same was akin to exposing his underbelly.
Mwathi said that the Murang'a senator would have directly communicates with the President instead of writing him 'an offensive' letter.
"I imagine he has Uhuru's speed dial and they talk regularly and hence his writing a letter and copying it to other people is a sign of disrespect to the head of state," he said.
Dismissing him as coward who can not lead a battalion to a successful fight, Mwathi prevailed upon him to resign forthwith saying that his continued stay in office will cripple the Jubilee party.
"Once a leader fails to show his people direction, they have no business clinging into office but should vacate and let others take the reins,"he said.
Meanwhile, a section of Kiambu County Assembly Members have since supported Kangata's assertions that BBI is unpopular in Mt.Kenya region.
Led by former Majority Leader Anthony Ikonya, they said that the senator's letter was full of truth and that those castigating him are pretenders.
"That is the gospel truth, people want nothing to do with BBI. Uhuru should be told that the ground is different," said Ikonya who is the Kiambu township civic leader.
