This archive report was first published on 29 August 2019.
Published on August 29, 2019, Governor Anne Waiguru of Kirinyaga has declared that Mt Kenya is fully behind the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI). This assertion comes after Nyeri County Assembly rejected the Punguza Mizigo Bill presented by Thirdway Alliance leader Ekuru Aukot.
Waiguru's statement suggests that any opposition to the BBI proposals will be met with political oblivion. She pointed to Nyeri County's rejection of the bill as a sign of the times ahead, implying that other counties will likely follow suit.
On August 28, 2019, Waiguru tweeted, 'As I've said before, Mt Kenya is fully in support of BBI as evidenced today in Nyeri where the bill presented by Ekuru Aukot has been rejected by the whole assembly. Nyeri County has set the precedence, other counties are most likely to follow. These are signs of the times ahead.'
The Punguza Mizigo Bill, which aims to reduce the number of members in the National Assembly, was presented to the Nyeri County Assembly on August 28, 2019. However, the bill was met with opposition from a majority of ward representatives, who questioned its motive and argued that it was a scheme to undermine the National Assembly.
Speaker John Kaguchia announced that the bill would be formally debated in October, but the ward representatives were not convinced. Led by Kirimukuyu Ward Representative Muriithi Ndagita, they expressed concerns that the bill would give too much power to the Senate and undermine the National Assembly.
