Organizers of the fast-approaching BBI consultative forum, slated for Saturday in Mombasa County, Wednesday revealed details on how they plan to keep leaders allied to Deputy President William Ruto, who surprisingly proclaimed their intention to attend the rally, in check.
Led by Elgeyo-Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen, the anti-BBI politicians, popularly referred to as team Tangatanga, held a press conference on Tuesday, announcing their peculiar change of stand on the viability of the ODM leader Raila Odinga-driven meetings, scheduled to be held across the country in the coming weeks.
They, in the spirit of building bridges, offered to work with Raila’s team, towards the achievement of the BBI’s original intention of a better nation.
In a Wednesday rejoinder, Raila’s allies in turn ‘welcomed’ the DP’s brigade to the Mombasa forum, on condition that they would maintain the level of decorum required of respectable leaders.
In the Wednesday presser, Suna East MP Junet Mohammed warned that the owners of the Mombasa BBI rally were ready to neutralize any form of misbehavior by the Tangatanga group, which caused drama during the BBI report launch at the Bomas of Kenya in 2019.
During the November event, Murkomen took to the dais to rant over the fact that his friends and himself were openly being sidelined, yet the BBI was about enhancing inclusivity.
On Wednesday, Junet advised Ruto’s troop to attend the meeting with the intention of listening, a subtle hint that they might not be accorded the chance to address the public on Saturday.
Viongozi wazungumzia mkutano wa BBI unaofanyika Jumamosi hii mjini Mombasa #LeoMashinani https://t.co/oDiC6wLzoC pic.twitter.com/SNNlwOfQMm
— KTN News Alerts (@KTNNewsKE) January 22, 2020
This is a point that was reinforced by Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Gedi, who, during the media address, stated that not all leaders in attendance would be allowed to make speeches.
According to Gedi, it is the host governor who would decide on who to include in the speakers’ list.
ODM spokesman Phillip Etale expressed similar sentiments, cryptically stating that the Tangatanga brigade would be allowed no room ”to make noise” in a since-deleted Facebook post.
