Muranga Council of Eminent Persons holds meeting with Kangata over BBI letter to Uhuru

Muranga Council of Eminent Persons holds meeting with Kangata over BBI letter to Uhuru

The Council of Eminent Persons of Murang’a on Thursday held a sitting with the county Senator Irungu Kang’ata over his conversion letter to President Uhuru Kenyatta on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) process.

The council said it wanted to understand the context in which the Senator authored the letter which has elicited mixed reactions in the country.

The Eminent Persons stated that their main concern is to ensure peaceful coexistence for different political factions in Murang’a County.

“We had to find out from Senator Kang’ata the authenticity of that letter…whether it was even his letter and all that…we talked for about two hours or so,” said Council Chair Joe Kibe.

The council members keeping the details of their deliberations confidential but admitting some of their concerns.

“We’re very happy that he came and we discussed the whole matter, and we expressed our opinion and views at the procedure which was followed for writing the letter…so he is aware of our feelings…but we did not call him to reprimand him,” added Mr. Kibe.

The council insists that BBI is an important agenda that requires national attention.

“As far as the question of the BBi is concerned, because it has got so many good policy issues in it, we like it…in fact we love it…after all, it comes from the golden handshake between our beloved President and the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga…we have always supported the handshake, and now we support the BBI,” further stated Mr. Kibe.

Kang’ata’s New Year action would appear to have propelled Murang’a County back to the national political contest, now standing as a battleground for the rival Jubilee factions.

“Whether there is Tanga Tanga, whether there is Kieleweke…all these people are entitled to be there, and they will continue doing their jobs how best they know…we can only advise,” the council Chair concluded.

When he left the meeting, Senator Kang’ata declined to speak to journalists promising to do so when ready.

Kang’ata, in the bold letter covering several other issues, said only two in 10 people in Central Kenya support the BBI, a finding he said is based on his own personal observations over the Christmas holiday.

He further told the President that a ruling party candidate could be defeated in the forthcoming election of Nairobi Governor, saying such an outcome would embarrass the government and undermine its legislative agenda in the Houses of Parliament.

The letter sparked mixed reactions from Mt. Kenya leaders, with 10 Governors from the region coming out to rubbish the document.

The Senate Majority Whip later claimed the letter was leaked by a third party, however maintaining that the issues in the letter are substantive, adding that he hopes they will be remedied.

“Kindly though the letter dated 30th December is authentic, I didn’t give it to the media. Someone else who had been copied did. I apologise for that. With the benefit of hindsight. I should have copied no one else. Trust substantive issues raised in the letter will be remedied,” he said.

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BBI murang'a county Senator Irungu Kang’ata Council of Eminent Persons

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