STATEMENT BY 10 GOVERNORS FROM THE CENTRAL REGION ECONOMIC BLOCK IN RESPONSE TO A LETTER BY SENATOR HON. IRUNGU KANGATA DATED 30th DECEMBER 2020
Our attention has been drawn to a letter by Hon Kangata the National Chief Whip in the Senate.
After deep consultations with the Governors of the Mt Kenya CEREB region, we wish to make the following statement.
1. As a senior member of parliament and Jubilee party, Hon Kangata should have followed official government structures and procedures in his address to HE the President. Such breach of protocol is unacceptable. It raises questions why a senior member of the government leadership in parliament would choose this cheap populist method to address this issue to HE the President whose office is just a few steps away from parliament.
2. While we acknowledge some of the issues raised, we believe it is very premature to judge the Bill as it has just been published for public participation and intensive discussion at the grassroots. It is at this level that the entire leadership will be expected to educate and sensitize wananchi, with elected leaders expected to play a key roll in these public engagements without fear intimidation or coercion.
3. All Governors attest that wananchi are waiting for the published bill. To intimate that the Mt Kenya region is opposed to the document at this stage is not only preposterous but also a serious misrepresentation of facts and reality, and we repeat very premature.
4. We can confirm that at no time did Hon Kangata seek or discuss any of the issues raised with any Governor or key elected leader of the Mt Kenya CEREB region who interact with wananchi at the grassroots on a day to day basis.
5. Hon Kangata’s statement should be deemed as personal and based on personal prejudice. The central Kenya region has a unique political behavior driven by unique interests and not hysterical emotions.
6. We assert that BBI captures the CEREB regions interests now and beyond, for example in areas where counties did not get extra MPs wananchi are still positive to BBI because increased resources to counties, to youth, women, PWDs agriculture and cognition of key economic value chains across the country such as livestock sugar potatoes tea coffee infrastructure minerals and natural resources.
7. Hon Kangata talks of a possible bloated wage bill, Governors will be recommending a ring fenced wage bill whose consequences are reduction of salaries and other allowances.
In conclusion, we would like to emphasize that BBI is a National agenda not a Mt Kenya issue (just like Chief Whip is a National office and not a regional office), statements by a national leader have far reaching implications and we urge national leaders to stop issuing irresponsible statements or utterances that may cause despondency and fear. In this regard we recommend and urge the top jubilee leadership to immediately call together all political actors including national, county and grass root leadership to operate on a clear synergy of teamwork where everybody pulls together in the national interest.
For and on behalf of the Ten Governors of the Central Region Economic Block (CEREB)
Dated 4th January 2021
H.E. FT Kimemia – Chairman
H.E. K Murungi – vice chairman
H.E. L Kinyanjui
H.E. A. Waiguru
H.E. J. Nyoro
H.E. N. Wabora
H.E. N. Murithi
H.E. M wa Iria
H.E. M. Njuki
H.E. M. Kahiga.
Source: KENYAGIST.COM