JOINT COMMUNIQUÉ
INTRODUCTRION
We want to start by thanking the people of Mt. Kenya for endorsing the BBI report by appending their signatures in support of the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020 in large numbers. In so doing, Mt. Kenya people have earned their position on the right side of history as a progressive people who value reforms that are guaranteed to bring peace, prosperity and the unity of the country. The people of Mt. Kenya have once again demonstrated their unwavering support for His Excellency the President and given a ringing endorsement to the proposed political reforms enshrined in the BBI report.
Let it be noted that we are gathered here as the silent majority of leaders in the Mt Kenya region, in contrast to the outspoken few who dominate the headlines. It is worth noting that out of about 91 elected leaders in the Mt Kenya region, less than 15 have been hoodwinked into beating the drums of war instead of preaching unity. The remaining 60 leaders continue to steer the region and country to a progressive path being charted by our President.
Our discussions today have isolated the numerous benefits of the BBI for our region, and indeed, the entire country. These include proposed increase in the resources going to the counties, the establishment of the Ward Development Fund that guarantees development resource at the grassroots, the embedding in the Constitution the “one man, one vote, one shilling” principle of fairness and equity, the improvement of representation through the creation of extra constituencies, more inclusivity in our politics, new economic and political opportunities for our young people, women and PWDs among others.
As the vast majority of elected leaders from Mt. Kenya, we have come together to show our support for the BBI as well as President Uhuru Kenyatta’s vision to leave behind a united, peaceful and prosperous country when his term ends. As elected leaders within the community that has always borne the brunt of political violence in this country, we understand and value the importance of peace and stability in a country that did not enjoy much of either before the March 2018 handshake. We have seen the fruits of that peace in the developments that have been happening on the infrastructure front across the country since 2018.
It would be grossly negligent on our part to go into what appears like another divisive election without resolving the issues that have plagued this country at every electoral cycle. BBI CAN’T WAIT!
Following the vibrant discussions here today, there is agreement within our ranks that the BBI has made good proposals. However, the biggest challenge BBI faces in our region, and indeed the whole country is the limited knowledge on the contents of the report and the bill. This has afforded the naysayers a field day in spreading misinformation. Unfortunately for them, their lies are starting to crumble as the truth becomes manifest.
We have spent the day exploring ways to effectively educate the people of our region on the contents of the bill and how to counter the misinformation that is being deliberately peddled in our region by those who do not mean well for us. We want our people to interrogate the Constitutional Amendment Bill and know that BBI is good for them.
Having noted the immense benefits of the BBI to the Mt Kenya region and the country at large, we the leaders of Mt. Kenya region:
RECOGNIZING that BBI is the only way for our region to realize the promises of democracy, fairness, equality of all citizens and equity enshrined in the Constitution of Kenya, 2010;
RECOGNIZING FURTHER that BBI is the route to lasting peace, the proper shaping of our political destiny, and the securing of our political and economic future;
RESOLUTE in our belief that the BBI is good for our people as it seeks to address, among other things, the gross underrepresentation and skewed resource allocation that has afflicted our region since independence.
NOTING that BBI seeks to strengthen the fight against corruption by severely limiting the amount of time corruption and economic crimes cases take in court;
UNITED in our belief that the only path to real prosperity is proper empowerment of our youth and not piecemeal personal handouts from leftover corruption proceeds and quick fixes that offer an illusion of empowerment but whose real intention is to hoodwink our people and trap our youth in a vicious cycle of poverty;
ACKNOWLEDGING that there has been a massive disinformation campaign and deliberate efforts to delegitimize the BBI process in the Mt. Kenya region and make it appear unpopular by elements that do not have our interests at heart;
BEING compelled to remind our people that failure to pass the BBI would portend a bleak future for our Region as it would not just result in the continuation of the unfair status quo, particularly regarding unfair representation, but also aggravate the economic and development deprivation in our region;
AFFIRMING our unwavering support and commitment to the Handshake, the BBI process, and all the efforts pioneered by H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta in his quest for lasting peace and stability of our country and solutions to our common challenges,
DECLARE our commitment to work together as a team in educating and sensitizing our people on the contents of the bill, and in countering the misinformation that is being deliberately spread in our region.
We further resolve as follows:
- That we shall immediately embark on aggressive civic education and active mobilization through outreach activities and engagement forums
- That we call upon all elected and non-elected leaders from the region including our Governors, MCAs, the clergy, opinion leaders and indeed all key actors to ensure everybody is on board in our quest
- That we recognize that the IEBC is making progress in the verification of signatures. However, we call upon the commission to speed up the process since the resources have already been availed.
- We have agreed on a team of 5, and an inclusive structure to spearhead these efforts and rally our people to support the BBI process to the very end.
CONCLUSION
Our strength lies in our unity and we know there are people working day and night to divide us in the hope of neutralizing our strength. But we also know that when it matters, the people of our region always come together. We are counting on the pragmatism of the people of Mt. Kenya to help them cast aside their political overcoats and rally behind what for them is a once in a lifetime opportunity to constitutionally ring-fence the mantra of “One Man, One Vote, One Shilling” through BBI.
The door remains open to the few of our colleagues who are yet to join the BBI train. In private, they keep telling us they understand BBI is good for the region, but they are afraid to antagonize their political masters. We call upon them to have the courage of their convictions. BBI is for everybody and we can work together for the betterment of our region and its people.
In concluding, we wish to quote Winston S. Churchill who once said, “When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.”
God Bless Kenya
Thank you.
Mt. Kenya Leaders Parliamentary Group
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