Come with manners: Shebesh tells Tangatanga lawmakers ahead of Mombasa BBI rally

CAS Rachel Shebesh has warned leaders allied to Deputy President William Ruto who will attend the BBI meeting in Mombasa on Saturday to guard their tongues.

Speaking in Homa Bay town on Friday, Shebesh told the legislators not to criciticise President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.

“Mombasa we are coming…Murkomen tafadhali…kujeni Mombasa you’re welcome but come with manners…Uhuru na Raila sio watu wa kusomewa…especially kwa BBI…huyo ni mtoto wetu…if you’re genuine about BBI, Tangatanga I want to tell from today, stop abusing…that is our bare minimum…I do not see why I should abuse William Ruto…for what? First of all, yeye sio level yangu, he is the Deputy President,” she said.

Shebesh further insisted that the Tangatanga MPs should acknowledge the handshake between President Kenyatta and Mr. Odinga.

She further warned the DP’s allies not to head to Mombasa with another agenda apart from the BBI meeting.

Homa Bay Woman Rep Gladys Wanga who was with Shebesh also cautioned the Tangatanga MPs against any attempts to derail the BBI Mombasa forum.

According to her, it would be wrong if the MPs took part in the meeting only to make utterances against Raila and Uhuru.

“We must be honest with ourselves…you cannot be flip-flopping…today you like BBI….tomorrow, ‘no you’re wasting public resources’. We welcome everybody to Mombasa even Tangatanga…lakini ukikuja pale….come slowly….Mombasa kuna wenyewe ambao wataletwa pale kwa BBI…na wewe unasema nakuja lazima niongee…come slowly my brother,” she said.

They were speaking during an event for 240 youths who have been sponsored by National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) and Wanga’s office.

DP Ruto recently alleged that public resources are being used for public barazas advocating for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).

According to him, there is no need for the ongoing political mobilisation as no one is opposed to the BBI.

“What are all these campaigns for? Who do they want to persuade? Is it a way of misusing Government resources?” he posed on January 10.

Just over a week later, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen called for a Press conference where he accused the BBI team of having a clandestine committee with an underground draft report and bill.

According to him, a section of the political leadership has already kicked off public rallies aimed at politicizing the BBI process.

“To our utter disappointment, at recent public rallies in Kisii and Kakamega leaders resorted to the very callous tactics rejected by the BBI report, backsliding into the reviled old order that Kenyans are running away from,” he said on Tuesday.

It was at the Press conference that he announced that the Tangatanga team would take part in the BBI rallies across the country starting with Mombasa this weekend.

He also alleged that there was a plan to deny BBI-critics seats at the rallies or heckle them if they attempted to address the crowd.

Despite this, however, he and his counterparts vowed to attend the rally, adding that if humiliating him and other leaders would help unite the county then it was a welcome challenge.

A showdown now looms at the Mama Ngina Waterfront meeting particularly after another faction of DP Ruto-allies led by MP Aisha Jumwa were pelted with stones as they addressed journalists on Friday.