Editor's Review

  • Senate Majority Chief Whip Irungu Kang’ata’s letter to President Uhuru Kenyatta claiming the BBI is not popular in the Mt Kenya region.
  • His claims have been received with doubt by members of the 'Kieleweke' faction.

Trouble is brewing in the Kieleweke faction after its leaders poked holes into Senate Majority Chief Whip Irungu Kang’ata’s letter to President Uhuru Kenyatta.

On Sunday, January 4 2021, a letter by Senator Kang'ata on the popularity of the BBI initiative in Central Kenya opined that the initiative is not popular in the region.

Speaking on the letter, BBI co-chairman Junet Mohamed challenged Kang’ata's sentiments and the authenticity of his claims that BBI was unpopular in Mount Kenya region.

“I don’t come from that area (Mount Kenya) so I cannot confirm what (Mr) Kang’ata is saying but this is the gospel according to Kang’ata. He may have his own opinion but I don’t know when Kang’ata became a pollster in this country,” the Suna East MP said.

“The last time I checked, he was Majority Whip in the Senate but today we are seeing (Mr) Kang’ata who is a pollster and who can go and commission an opinion poll within the Christmas period,” he added.

Mr Mohamed said the Murang'a senator is entitled to his opinion but after the signature verification process the BBI secretariat will tell Kenyans the next cause of action.

“We are still going through the process as required by law but (Mr) Kang’ata is entitled to his opinion and, once in a while, to become a pollster,” Mr Mohamed stated.

Kang’ata cited three causes that are making BBI unpopular — it is being framed as a Jubilee factional agenda spearheaded only by the Kieleweke side; the notion that BBI will expand Parliament and claims that government supporting legislators in the region have been edged out of BBI programmes in favour of their local political competitors.