SAMBURU, Kenya, Dec 21 – Deputy President William Ruto has urged the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) secretariat to provide Kenyans with copies of the proposed amendments to ensure the public makes informed decisions.
Ruto who spoke in Samburu County during a prayer service at Maralal Catholic Church and later during a cultural ceremony in Poro on Sunday said availability of the copies is key to a creadible referendum.
“Someone should not tell you to vote No or vote Yes, you must know why you are settling on that particular option,” he said.
Ruto also asked political leaders to focus on addressing the challenges facing Kenyans.
He said it was wrong for them to pursue their political interests at a time when the country is undergoing serious health and economic problems.
“Let us all agree that we would work together to put in place the right measures that prioritise the needs of the people and thereafter deal with other political issues,” he said.
Dr Ruto asked Kenyans to observe guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health to curb the spread of the deadly COVID-19 disease.
He said politicians should not use the opportunity to amend the Constitution to advance their personal interests.
“As leaders, let us know that the most important thing is not that which benefits us as leaders but that which benefits all Kenyans.”
At the same time, Dr Ruto urged leaders to stop using negative ethnicity to advance their political careers.
Instead, he asked them to sell their agenda and ideas to the people.
The Deputy President said political competition in the country should be based on ideology.
Dr Ruto warned that there was a section of leaders who had resorted to ethnic mobilization because they do not have an agenda to sell to the people.
Present were Governors Moses Lenolkulal (Samburu County) and Jackson Mandago (Uasin Gishu), MPs Steve Lelegwe (Samburu County), Alois Musa Lentoimaga (Samburu North), Jackson Lekumontare (Samburu East), Kimani Ichungw’a (Kikuyu).
Ichungwa asked Kenyans to shun divisive tribal politics and instead focus on activities that would better their lives.
He said: “We want to create a nation of hustlers devoid of negative ethnicity and tribalism who embrace their cultures.”
The Kikuyu legislature asked leaders to realign their agenda to those of the people.
Ichungwa said the ongoing BBI conversation should be dominated by the issues affecting Kenyans.
He said: “Please let us focus our country’s priorities to the needs of the people and not to those of politicians.”
Mandago asked leaders to take advantage of the BBI to implement policies that will transform underdeveloped region citing Samburu County.
The Uasin Gishu Governor called for an all-inclusive model that will address the needs of both densely populated region and sparsely populated regions with huge landmass equally.
He said: “We have an opportunity to rectify poor policies implemented by previous Governments that left some regions behind.”
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