DP Ruto to start attending BBI rallies, says Kuria

It could be a Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) rally like no other in Meru county should Deputy President William Ruto opt to attend February 29 rally like has been said by Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria.

If DP Ruto attends the forum, he will for the first time share a BBI rally podium with ODM leader Raila Odinga making it one of the biggest political about-turn from Ruto having dismissed the initiative as a waste of public resources in the past.

Kuria, one of Ruto's close allies on February 13, announced on his social media accounts that Ruto will join the former Prime Minister for the Meru BBI rally. 

He described the rally as one of its kind and the most inclusive among the other rallies with the two leaders set to attend.

“The Meru BBI rally on February 29 will be the best so far. If inclusivity is one of the aspirations of the BBI, this will be the hallmark of the Meru rally with Ruto set to attend for the first time alongside Raila. This is the Kenya we want,” he wrote on his Facebook.

But speaking to Standard Digital on phone, ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna said he was not aware if the DP will attend the rally, adding that he doesn’t know his itinerary.

Sifuna, however, confirmed that the ODM leader will attend the rally, adding that that is the much he was aware of.

“I don’t know DP Ruto’s itinerary so I am not in a position to confirm his attendance, may be Kuria is in apposition to clarify that, what I know is that Baba will attend the rally,” he said.

Skipped previous rallies

DP Ruto and his brigade skipped both the Kisii and Kakamega BBI rallies before some of them opted to attend Mombasa and Kitui forums, but most leaders were those allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila.

Ruto dismissed the rallies as a scheme by the ODM leader to craft his 2022 vehicle and even warned governors against using public resources to fund the rallies.

His allies led by Senate Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen and Moses Kuria however softened their stand on the rallies and have been attending them amid heckling.

Kuria was almost thrown out of the Kitui rally with Governor Charity Ngilu and his Kiambu counterpart James Nyoro baying for his blood.

The controversial MP accused Ngilu of inciting goons to attack him for attending a BBI rally.

The Tangatanga politicians were not given a chance to address the rally with most speakers seen to be pro handshake politicians despite having announced that they were ready to join their colleagues in the rallies to market the report.

The DP could be forestalling a us versus them scenario which analysts say will see him go against his boss jeorpadisng his 2022 race to State House.

BBI workshop

Meanwhile, the Steering Committee on the implementation of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) will today ends its two-day stakeholders’ consultative forum at the Laico Regency Hotel.

The consultative forum brought together Ministry of Public Service, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), the Multi sectoral Forum and Women in Business.

Youth 4 BBI, the County Assemblies Forum, and the Political Parties Liaison Committee also attended the forum.

The committee is required to conduct a validation of the BBI report via meeting with citizens, civil society, the faith-based organisations, cultural leaders, the private sector and experts.

After consultations, the committee is expected to come up with proposals to pave the way for implementation of the BBI report.