The division on how the Building Bridges Initiative sensitisation meetings are being conducted continues to widen among politicians.
A section the legislators allied to Tanga Tanga movement says the process has been politicised while their antagonists claim the process of collecting public views has been successful.
Even as divided as they are, the legislators who appeared to be opposing the process have decided to join in the public forums to fight for what they claim is an alleged scheme to introduce a doctored report.
Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, Senator Cleophas Malala and ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna faced off on KTN Thursday.
Kuria criticised the manner in which the process has been conducted.
“I blame this on the committee that was gazzetted. It has not given a clear roadmap on how the public engagements should be conducted.”
The MP, who echoed sentiments that have been expressed by DP William Ruto, said there was no need for drama in the meetings which he says have turned into political rallies.
On Sunday, the DP dismissed the two meetings in Kisii and Kakamega as “mere drama” and called for an inclusive programme to collect views from Kenyans in every sub-county. He was speaking at St Christopher Catholic Church in Chumvi, Machakos County.
When asked why he was joining the bandwagon, Kuria said he wanted to find out if there was something positive from those events.
“I’m not convinced there is anything beneficial but maybe there is,” he said.
Senator Malala, on the other hand, insisted the process had provided a platform for a conversation that should not be wasted and that the two meetings in Kisii and Kakamega had been successful.
“The sovereign power is with the elected leaders to engage with their electorate and this way through the rallies Kisii people were able to give their views through their leaders,” he said.
Those sentiments were shared by Sifuna.
“Issues people face can only be brought out by the same people who are experiencing them. The views we collect at the rallies are tremendous.”
Sifuna maintained that the Mombasa meeting was not going to be a political showdown.
“The process is for everyone and we must have all the voices on board,” he said.
But even as the leaders disagreed on the manner in which the BBI meetings were being conducted, they agreed that the report meant well for Kenyans.
The allies of Deputy President William Ruto announced on Tuesday that they would join the meetings moving forward.
At least 20 MPs said they would be with the team led by Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga in Mombasa at the weekend for the third BBI public meeting.
The team, led by Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen, also announced they would take charge of some of the BBI meetings, in a statement interpreted to mean spearheading the public gatherings in areas perceived to be their strongholds like Eldoret and other parts of Rift Valley and Central Kenya.
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