Through his Facebook page on Friday night, February 21, Kuria alleged that the rally had been cancelled as the organisers saw it fit to shelve the meeting out of fears that it may be disrupted.
Kuria’s claims came moments after several legislators walked out of a delegates meeting, over what they termed as ethnic profiling.
“I thank the organisers of the BBI rally in Narok for calling off the event. It is clear that following what happened in Narok today (the legislators’ fiasco) this would have not ended very well. Better to err on the side of caution,” Kuria claimed.
He went to allege that the proposals to be made to the BBI taskforce were centered on exclusion rather than unite the cosmopolitan region.
“This is what Narok rally could have turned out to be. All Non-Maasai to vacate Narok and Kajiado Counties, anyone who bought land legally would return it to the indigenous community, if your father acquired land you would surrender it to local community irrespective of how legally you acquired the land. This is dangerous; The real precipice,” Kuria added.
ODM, through their communications director, Philip Etale, clarified that the event would go on as planned.
“Contrary to reports by Moses Kuria that the BBI Narok Rally has been cancelled, I want to confirm that I am in Narok and the rally is on as scheduled at Narok Stadium.
“Kuria’s post is driven by his inebriated mind and should be ignored by everyone,” Etale proclaimed.
Yesterday, Friday 22, Odinga met several regional leaders to deliberate on issues that would be proposed to the taskforce.
Odinga had earlier on appealed to the leaders of various communities living in Maa counties to work together and exercise tolerance in order to make the BBI process a success. This was after Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina and his Kericho counterpart Aaron Cheruiyot differed on the rally’s agenda while on JKLive, Citizen TV on Wednesday, February 19.
“Given the cosmopolitan nature of the seven counties to be represented at this meeting, Odinga urges the coordinators of the two-day event to ensure participants reflect particularly the ethnic and occupational diversities of the counties to include ethnic minorities, herdsmen, farmers, women and the youth. Odinga assures the residents of the seven counties and their representatives that all efforts are being made to create room for all viewpoints, concerns and interests to be discussed openly and constructively in a way that leaves the regions feeling united and involved in the making of a new Kenya.
“He appeals to the counties to take full advantage of the opportunity presented by this meeting and the BBI process to soberly and jointly tackle the challenges that have been unique to them from the colonial era to date,” a statement by ODM Party via Facebook, on Thursday, February 20, read.
Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga addresses regional leaders at Narok BBI delegates conference on Friday, February 21, 2020
