Interior CS Fred Matiang’i said on Wednesday those fighting BBI are cheap and petty.
He said they’re wrong to complain about the addition of parliamentary seats for Central Kenya and say it’s because President Uhuru Kenyatta comes from Mt Kenya.
“It’s wrong to link the President and Kikuyu community to additional seats recommended by the Building Bridges Initiative,” the CS said.
He was speaking in Kiambu town while issuing the first Huduma Namba cards.
He was joined by CAS for ICT Maureen Mbaka, Governor James Nyoro, Kiambu MP Jude Njomo and Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria.
“BBI is addressing services to the people. We should stop telling lies about BBI to make them happy. Let’s be honest and tell the truth.
“You oppress some people, thinking because you speak about a certain tribe you will make people emotional so they may follow you. That’s the truth,” Matiang’i said.
He said that the population in Central Kenya is what BBI considered, not the oppression of other areas.
“I urge leaders to keep on keeping peace and talking with each other over BBI.
“There’s nothing wrong with disagreeing as we are a democracy and we discuss our opinions,” the CS said.
“Representation is about people and not land. One cannot talk about equity, saying that because we have so much land we should also be given constituencies like densely populated area,” he said.
Njomo said that Kenyans should take their time to read the BBI for themselves and make a personal decision whether it is good for them or not.
“I have read the BBI but I will not preach it to my constituents as I want them to read, understand and decide for themselves,” he said.
Kuria said that no one is resisting BBI and most of the things in the document are good.
“We have a historic opportunity as a country to move together irrespective of political persuasions,” he said.
Kuria said those who want the document to be reopened are not asking for unlimited time but a window to look at all issues being brought up to avoid a contested referendum.
He said his only issue with BBI is the IEBC, which he said must not be partisan with members picked by political parties, as BBI recommends.
“It will be a recipe of chaos and the country is setting up itself for a major catastrophe in the future” with that kind of partisan IEBC, Kuria said.
Nyoro said the county is informing residents about BBI so they can decide.
“Everybody should read it for themselves and should avoid being read to and avoid being misled. BBI brings resources closure to the people,” he said.
Based on random interviews, Kiambu residents said they haven’t received or read the document. They can’t access it on their phones for lack of data or because they don’t have smartphones.
Some said they have been following the issues on radio and television debates. A number said the different views made it difficult for them to make a decision.
They called for civic education on BBI.