BBI is a done deal as pastoralist communities change their mind after meeting RAILA – RUTO was banking on pastoralists to show UHURU and BABA dust

 Monday, November 9, 2020 – Leaders drawn from the pastoralist communities, who were initially opposed to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report, have now changed tune and vowed to support it after meeting former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

The leaders, under the umbrella of the Pastoralist Parliament Group (PPG) led by Mandera Governor Ali Roba, unanimously resolved to support the report on Monday.

They said Raila had assured them that their concerns would be accommodated before the final report is subjected to a national referendum next year.

The change of heart by the leaders in the frontier counties is a major boost to the BBI report that is championed by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his handshake partner Raila Odinga.

“The issues that they have raised including revenue sharing, equalization fund, livestock marketing authority among others will be taken on board once the technical team irons them out,” Raila said.

Governor Roba, 100 MPs and governors from the region had dismissed the report over claims that their proposals to the BBI Taskforce were not factored in.

Garissa Township MP and former National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale, who is allied to Deputy President William Ruto and also the patron of PPG, has been leading a campaign opposing the report.

The leaders had last week issued their ’11 irreducible minimums’ which they wanted addressed in the BBI report.

But after meeting Raila today, the leaders have now agreed to support BBI on the premise that the issues they have raised will be fully addressed.

“We confirm our support for BBI and I have no doubt in my mind that the pastoralist communities will not be left out of the national conversation,” stated the governor.

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