President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday evening met and consulted with governors from the Rift Valley region, ahead of the Building Bridges Initiative mobilisation and popularisation meeting scheduled for Nakuru on Saturday, March 21.
The Nakuru forum will bring together all Rift Valley counties, after the BBI meeting that was set to be held in Eldoret town, Uasin Gishu County was called off over security concerns.
Rift Valley is Deputy President William Ruto’s political turf, and his allies have insisted his input must be sought on the BBI Roadmap, claiming ODM leader Raila Odinga has hijacked the process.
According to a dispatch from the presidential communication team, the governors assured the head of state of their full backing of the BBI process and undertook to ensure unity and inclusion of all stakeholders in the Nakuru meeting.
Meanwhile, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, a staunch supporter of the deputy president, has endorsed the Nakuru BBI rally saying it will be “different from all others.”
Murkomen says all 11 counties in the Rift Valley will hold separate consultations on the BBI which will be harmonised on Thursday, March 19 two days before the BBI rally.
“The Rift Valley BBI rally will be held on 21st of March 2020 in Nakuru and it will be different from all others. We have agreed that all leaders from all the 11 counties will participate fully without party factions or mini-factions,” said Murkomen.
Murkomen noted that his county will hold its BBI consultation meeting on Friday, March 14 in Iten Town.
“…we shall have a consultation meeting for Elgeyo Marakwet County in Iten Town this Friday 14th March 2020. This process has my full endorsement, participation and support,” he said.
It was expected that in the Rift Valley region there would be a BBI rally in Nakuru and then in Eldoret but simmering tension between supporters of DP Ruto and those of the handshake led to a change of plans.
With Eldoret being Ruto’s political turf there were fears that a BBI rally in Eldoret would be marred by chaos ostensibly due to his political stand and the aggressive treatment of his supporters at past rallies.
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