Kanini, Ichungwa clash over state of economy, BBI
Parliamentary Budget and Appropriation chairman Kanini Kega clashed with his predecessor Kimani Ichung'wa with each accusing the other of being responsible for the current frustrating economic state of the country.
The duo met at Ngenia high school in Limuru during the burial of Alice Njambi Ndirangu, who is the mother of Igogo Ndirangu, a parliamentary staffer in an event which was hosted by area MP Peter Mwathi and attended by other MPs including Moses Kuria (Gatundu South), Mercy Gakuya of Kasarani and Mark Nyamita of Uriri.
During the event, Kuria left in a huff after the AIPCK clergy led by pastor Paul Njenga sought to have the speeches cut and the burial service be conducted before the MP together with Mercy would address the mourners.
This was after Mwathi, Kega, Nyamita and Ichung'wa had addressed the mourners with the Kikuyu MP being cheered on as he tore into BBI proponents.
The Building Bridges Initiative took center stage with Kega saying that funds which will be used for the referendum would not be from National Treasury but from donors.
He accused a section of leaders who he said are busy spreading rumours to the effect that the country is broke noting that such allegations are unfounded.
'Our economy, like others the world over has been affected by the effects of Covid-19 pandemic but that doesn't mean that the country is broke, ' he said.
However, Ichung'wa countered the statement saying that the country's economy is on it's knees and regretted that the government was prioritizing BBI at the expense of the common man and particularly health workers.
'I was fired from the budget committee for telling the truth that the country is headed in the wrong direction if we continue borrowing thereby increasing the National debt,' he said adding that indeed, the country might sink in the near future unless urgent austerity measures are taken to contain the slumping economy.
The law makers blamed each other for misleading locals about the of Building Bridges Initiative contents with Mwathi prevailing upon leaders to depoliticize the same and give 'Wanjiku' time to read the document and then make informed choices during the referendum.
'When we politicians attack each other, voters take the BBI debate as a political contest which is not the case. It should dawn on Kenyans that the BBI is only seeking to amend a small part of the constitution and not changing it,' he explained.
“Some unscrupulously dishonest politicians are even misleading people that there is no work being done by President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government and that he has forsaken our region” said Mwathi who is a Kieleweke proponent.
Mwathi said numerous development projects are on course adding that nothing had stopped, since roads and railway were being constructed, markets and hospitals were being built, among other issues as the government was also fighting to reduce Covid 19 new infections.
“We should be telling our people the benefits of the BBI, why some do not like it but not politicising the whole process” he said.
“The countries which changed constitution, the new laws had challenges such as the one we are facing, since none got 100 per cent backing” he noted.
Ichung’wa who is staunch supporter of Deputy President William Ruto told mourners that this is not the right time to change the changing the constitution when it was being faced by inflation occasioned by the impact of the spread of coronavirus pandemic.
Kega regretted that Kiambu county is among the counties that are resisting the BBI, which is aimed at improving people's live.
