• Ruto accused the BBI of planning to create seats for five communities in the country and wondered where the other 37 communities are in the arrangement.
• However, all four MPs from the county Gichimu Githinji (Gichugu), Wachira Kabinga (Mwea), George Kariuki (Ndia) and women rep Wangui Ngirici attended the function.
Image: FILE
Deputy President William Ruto has termed the Building Bridges Initiative ridiculous and accused it of 'constitutionalising ethnicity'.
Ruto claimed the BBI is planning to create seats for five communities in the country and wondered where the other 37 communities are in the arrangement.
Proponents of the BBI have been rooting for the introduction of a prime minister’s post, two deputy prime ministers a president and deputy president.
The DP spoke in Nyeri where he toured Kariki ACK Church in Othaya and AIPCA Church in Narumoru in Kieni constituency on Sunday.
He also addressed residents in Narumoru town. Governor Mutahi Kahiga hosted the DP.
“Are we solving inclusion or are we entrenching and constitutionalising marginalisation and exclusion? We must be careful about what we do,” he said.
The DP said Kenya belongs to all the communities.
He said tribalism cannot be ended by making five positions but can only be achieved by forming a political party that will bring all Kenyans together.
The party he said should also be in a position to field a presidential candidate from any community in Kenya.
Ruto said the BBI team has been wasting their time going around the country yet Kenyans have no problem with the current Constitution.
The DP said the problem is with former Prime Minister who does not accept defeat.
He accused the opposition chief Raila Odinga of raising political temperatures in the country.
The DP contributed Sh1 million from President Uhuru Kenyatta and another Sh2 million from himself in Kariki, while in Narumoru AIPCA he donated Sh1 million
The Kariki ACK fundraiser was meant to construct a commercial building for the church and set up rehabilitation and education funds.
Snubbed in Kirinyaga
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru yesterday snubbed Deputy President William Ruto's tour of Kirinyaga county.
The visit came days after Waiguru declared her support for opposition leader Raila Odinga.
The governor's deputy Peter Ndambiri and a host of MCAs also skipped the function.
Kirinyaga Central MP John Wambugu said that they were not aware of Waiguru's whereabouts since she had not sent any apology.
However, all four MPs from the county Gichimu Githinji (Gichugu), Wachira Kabinga (Mwea), George Kariuki (Ndia) and women rep Wangui Ngirici attended the function.
Kirinyaga Senator Charles Kibiru sent an apology as he was outside the country.
About 20 MCAs led by Lucy Njeri (Nominated) attended the function but said that they had defied an order by the governor not to attend the function.
The DP donated Sh2.5 million for the construction of the Sacred Heart Kangaita Catholic Church.
The MCAs and local MPs said that they are behind Ruto and that Waiguru's decision to back Raila was personal.
Wambugu said that he was not asked his opinion by the governor before she announced that Central Kenya is ready for Raila.
He said that Kirinyaga and Central Kenya are fully behind the Deputy President and urged the residents to continue supporting him.
Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua, Kiharu MP -Ndindi Nyoro and their Kikuyu counterpart Kimani Ichung'wa expressed confidence in Ruto's chances in the region.
Rigathi said nobody elected Waiguru to be the region's spokesperson and her sentiments should not be taken to be representative of Mt Kenya.
He said that central region fully supports Deputy President and told off those campaigning for the opposition leader.
Over 20 MPs from Mt Kenya region attended the function and all pledged to continue supporting the DP.
The Kirinyaga county boss has been on the receiving end of attacks after she was quoted saying that the central region is ready for a Raila Odinga presidency.
But the governor later said that she was misquoted. She has, however, been an active member of the Embrace team which supports the handshake.
MPs speaking at the event dismissed the BBI as waste of taxpayers’ money and called for its disbandment.
They argued that creating five more positions in the executive will not cure the violence after a general election.
The leaders said that the money to be spent on the referendum should instead be used to buy drugs and set up diagnostic centres for cancer patients.