This archive report was first published on 25 October 2019.
October 25, 2019
Leaders from President Uhuru Kenyatta's backyard in Mount Kenya are facing accusations of plotting to sabotage the Uhuru-Raila handshake project aimed at uniting the country.
The allegations come after a section of Mount Kenya leaders, including Agriculture CS Mwangi Kiunjuri, Ndaragua MP Jeremiah Kioni, and Meru Senator Mithika Linturi, expressed opposition to the proposed governance bill that would clip the powers of the presidency.
The Build Bridges Initiative (BBI) team in their final report proposed the creation of a powerful Prime Minister Post who will be elected by parliamentarians and a Ceremonial President.
However, the Mt. Kenya leaders have vowed to fail the bid that attempts to alter the presidential system, claiming it will disadvantage the people of the region who are already underrepresented.
John Mbadi, the National Assembly Minority Leader and ODM party chairman, accused the Mt. Kenya MPs of not being 'genuine and serious' with the Uhuru-Raila handshake unity drive.
According to Herman Manyora, a political analyst, the Mt. Kenya leaders fear losing their grip on power if governance is changed, citing the area's high population but fewer electoral zones compared to others.
