The Building Bridges Initiative rally in Eldoret has been called off after organisers opted to hold a consolidated one for the North and Central Rift in Nakuru.
Eldoret is the hometown of Deputy President William Ruto.
The BBI team had been contemplating avoiding the town over fear of backlash after Ruto’s allies said they would not welcome a rally where opposition leader Raila Odinga is the chief guest.
Elgeyo-Marakwet Governor Alex Tolgos, who was picked by President Uhuru Kenyatta to spearhead BBI meetings in Rift Valley, on Tuesday said they agreed to hold only one meeting in Nakuru on March 21.
“We had set the Eldoret meeting for March 21 but when we sat down on Monday evening, we decided that we hold a single meeting Nakuru. For now, there will be no major BBI meeting in Eldoret but other people can organise theirs there,” said the governor.
He said they will come up with a document that will be presented to the Eldoret people in a town hall meeting.
He dismissed claims that Eldoret meeting had been called off due to fears of possible violence noting that Ruto’s allies were also free to organise their meeting if they were uncomfortable with their plans.
Mr Tolgos said everyone was welcome to the Nakuru meeting but warned the DP allies to observe decorum.
“We have been very clear with the Tanga Tanga group that if they do not want our rallies, they should organise theirs and we will not attend. We also welcome them in our rallies but they have to respect how we have organised it,” said Mr Tolgos.
When contacted Cherang’any MP Joshua Kutuny, another proponent of the BBI, said the that the region faced similar challenges hence no need of separate meetings to present the same memorandum.
“We have similar problems, the memorandum from this region should be submitted in one event and that is why we have Nakuru meeting due to the historical affiliations,” said Mr Kutuny.
Belgut MP Nelson Koech said that there was no need of having several rallies in the region arguing that those meetings are political and have nothing to do with the BBI report.
He added that the Nakuru meeting will be one of its own arguing that they will be tolerate with every leader who will be present.
“As elected leaders from Rift Valley we had agreed that we have one rally in Nakuru because these meetings are political rallies but what will make us different is that everyone will be allowed to be speak,” said Mr Koech.
The DP’s cronies on Tuesday led by Soy MP Caleb Kositany told the Nation that they welcome the BBI rally either in Nakuru or Eldoret but warned of hate speeches.
They further said that since the people of Rift Valley have similar challenges, they have requested the governors from the region to draft a memorandum which they will present to Senator Yusuf Haji-led taskforce.
“When the BBI rally will come to Rift Valley be it Eldoret or Nakuru, we will show them how to organise an inclusive rally where every leader will have an opportunity to speak not like the other meetings which have taken place,” said Mr Kositany, who is also Jubilee Party deputy secretary-general.
The leaders, however, said that planning of any rally within the region will be spearheaded by them and not a team led by Governor Tolgos, that was picked by President Kenyatta to steer the BBI drives in the region.
“Any rally in our region will be organized by us, if it is Eldoret, Governor Jackson Mandago will lead us, in case of Nakuru, it will be Governor Lee Kinyanjui and Governor Tolgos can lead us in Iten if there will be a meeting there,” said Mr Kositany.
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