By Betty Luke
There is a high likelihood that Isiolo County Assembly will unanimously pass the Building Bridges Initiative bill that will later facilitate a referendum.
While vocal Woman Representative Rehema Jaldesa has been rallying residents to reject the constitutional amendments, the immense support by other elected leaders is a major boost for BBI proponents.
If recent developments at Deputy President William Ruto’s last Saturday fundraiser snubbed by 16 MCAs, Senator Fatuma Dullo, Governor Mohamed Kuti, Nominated Senator Abshiro Halake and MPs Abdi Koropu and Hassan Odha of Isiolo South and North is anything to go by, the bill will sail through.
Only Ngaremara MCA Ekwam Teru attended the meeting organised by Ms Jaldesa who is Ruto’s close ally and which attracted close to 15 MPs from Marsabit, Meru and Turkana.
Burat ward MCA Yarrow Hassan said majority of the MCAs were supporting BBI and that the bill will be passed when it is tabled on Tuesday (tomorrow).
“We are for BBI and we will pass it because we all support President Uhuru Kenyatta,” Mr. Yarrow said.
The Jubilee MCA said most of the Isiolo residents were supporting BBI because it will promote devolution and ensure development at the grassroots.
Kisumu, Siaya and Homabay are among counties that have already passed the bill and Isiolo could be the first to give it a nod in Northern Kenya.
Isiolo Woman rep has dared the MCAs to pass the bill saying residents will embarrass them during the plebiscite. But does she have the numbers?
On February 11, Baringo county, which is Gideon Moi’s turf, shocked the country by rejecting the bill during a sitting characterized by heckling and bitter exchanges between Ruto and Moi’s supporters.
