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Ukambani lawmakers dismiss calls to review Constitution

Saturday, September 28th, 2019 00:00 | By
Deputy President William Ruto. Photo/File

DPPS

Ukambani leaders have dismissed calls for constitutional review, saying it cannot be done at the expense of the development of the country.

MPs Nimrod Mbai (Kitui East), Rachael Nyamai (Kitui South), Fabiani Kyule (Kangundo), Victor Munyaka (Machakos Town) and Vincent Musyoka (Mwala) said it was unfortunate that the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) team had resolved not to put the interests of the people at heart.

They criticised the initiative for proposing the position of premier as a solution to the country's inclusivity challenge.

The lawmakers, who had accompanied Deputy President William Ruto on a development tour of Kitui East on Friday, said the solution to political challenges facing Kenya is good leadership and equitable distribution of resources.

Kyule told the BBI team that the initiative was formed to unite and reconcile Kenyans rather than pursue a change of the Constitution.

“We are not fighting anyone but we do not need a prime minister. We need development,” he said.

Musyoka said creating a prime minister’s position would neither bring inclusivity nor promote equity.

"We need a good and just leader, not a tribal one. This country cannot afford to have 42 presidents to represent every tribe," he said.

He added that it was counter-productive for the country to change the Constitution “every time someone loses an election”.

“When will we be stable as a country if every administration wants to change the constitution,” he asked.

Instead of focusing on creating positions for a few individuals, Nyamai said there's a need to focus on service delivery.

“Kenyans cannot be burdened by unnecessary political seats,” she said.

Ruto appealed to politicians not to put their own interests ahead of those of Kenyans.

He said it was regrettable that politicians were still discussing leadership positions years after the last election instead of addressing the needs of the people.

After elections, the DP said, leaders should transition from politics to addressing the issues facing the people.

“After polls, we should not be talking about leaders, political positions and political parties. Instead, we should focus on the needs of the people," he said.

At the same time, Ruto asked leaders to set aside their political differences and unite to confront the challenges facing the country.

“Our country will not develop if we allow divisive and tribal politics to prevail,” he said.

During the development tour, Ruto launched the Last Mile Connectivity programme in Kitui East and later inspected the progress of the construction of Sh100 million Kitui East Technical Training Institute.

He said the government had set aside Sh2 billion for the construction of 42 kilometres of roads in Kitui.

“We will also spend Sh800 million to connect more than 20,000 residents to power in Kitui county,” he said.

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