57 Members of Parliament from the Mt. Kenya region have refuted referendum and advised the task force charged with the responsibility of reviewing the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report to adopt a cost-effective approach to see the recommendations embraced as laws.
The MPs who were led by Embu Senator Njeru Ndegwa held a meeting at Mountain Breeze Hotel in Embu, where they proposed that BBI should be passed into law via a parliamentary vote and not a referendum.
Read also: MOSES KURIA: BBI Report is ‘Bonoko’, Original is Coming
According to the lawmakers, the referendum was not logical for the already strained economy of the country, and thus the budget that could be bestowed on referendum should instead be used to enhance the agricultural sector.
Thus, the legislatures reiterated that if the referendum was the only way to adapt BBI recommendations as laws, then referendum was should be carried out alongside the 2022 general elections.
According to lawmakers, the approach would help the country to save a lot as far the expenditure and amount of time are considered.
They said that already the task force led by Yusuf Haji had consumed a lot of money.
The move by the Mt. Kenya region MPs come amid pressure from the political arena that referendum is held so that the citizens themselves decide the fate of the BBI report.
Among the leaders who have expressed the urge to hold a referendum include ODM party leader Raila Odinga, COTU boss Francis Atwoli, Kakamega County Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi, and ODM party secretary-general Edwin Sifuna.
According to Daoreti North MPSimba Arati, the BBI report would not survive if Members of the National Assembly are permitted to vote it in.
Read also: Referendum train Set and Ready To Go after IEBC Clearance.
According to Arati, DP William Ruto will influence a section of the MPs, and thus, would have the report thrown out.
“There is a problem, let us all agree, there is nothing you are telling us that we are going to Parliament to discuss the BBI report. We know very well that one William Samoei Ruto will buy all MPs and they will bring a big problem to this country. The only court where we will get justice is the one for the common mwananchi,” said Simba Arati.
