Migori Governor Okoth Obado has warned his political detractors against branding him anti-Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) crusader to gain cheap publicity.
Obado said he would not allow his opponents to use him as a punching bag in matters BBI, saying politicians must strive to bring everyone on board if BBI was to achieve its mission.
A section of Migori county leaders had told Obado to declare his stand on the ongoing BBI debate after some reports indicated he was to skip the Kisii County BBI forum slated for today.
The leaders said they became suspicious after Obado’s name and portrait were not included in a poster promoting the meeting which is to be attended by ODM leader Raila Odinga.
But Obado who is already in Kisii for the forum said he will not allow ‘some small politicians’ to speak for him when it comes to the BBI debate.
“It is cheap and very wrong for some small politicians without clout to peddle lies claiming I don’t support BBI,” he said.
Speaking on Thursday in Migori when he flagged off 200 students who benefited from the Governor's Scholarship (Elimu kwa Wananchi) Programme to join their respective secondary schools, Obado told leaders to shun politics of brinkmanship and instead preach unity.
“It is sad that even before I speak, some leaders are already in my mind and know what I support and that which I don’t support. This is so bad,” he said.
Obado said he was part of the ongoing BBI forum would be in Kisii today with his other colleagues from the greater Nyanza region to carry the BBI debate forward.
“From the name building bridges, we want to bring all Kenyans together and Governor Obado is a Kenyan,” he said
Governors elected on the Orange Democratic Movement ticket from Nyanza are meeting in Kisii to drum up support for BBI.
Governors James Ongwae (Kisii), John Nyagarama (Nyamira), Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o (Kisumu), Cyprian Awiti (Homa Bay) and Cornel Rasanga (Siaya) are expected to attend.
Also to attend the event senator, MPS, MCAs, clergy and other opinion leaders from the region.
On Tuesday, Obado had downplayed his exclusion from the poster promoting the event terming it a small matter.
But the fact that Obado missed a governors’ planning meeting in Kisumu last week raised concerns among party supporters and Migori leaders, fueling the rumours that he was not part of the forum.
