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A section of lawmakers from Arid and Semi-arid (ASAL) communities  have lashed out at Deputy President William Ruto and his allies for opposing Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report.

Led by Senate Majority Leader Samuel Poghisio, the seven lawmakers also told off a group of Pastoralists Parliamentary Group (PPG) and the Frontier Counties Development Council that have threatened to oppose BBI report.

PPG has opposed the document on grounds that it excluded presentations they made during public participation forums held by the taskforce.

He was referring to a group of politicians from the Northern Frontier, who have threatened to shoot down the report unless it meets there “irreduceable minimums.”

“We will be cheating our parties and the country if we say that the pastoralist community is happy with the document,” Garissa Township MP Aden Duale announced at a press conference this week.

“We demand our issues form part of the Kenyan conversation and be included in the proposed amendments,” he added.

Politicians allied to Ruto including Duale and Turkana Governor Josephat Nanok mocked the exercise and discouraged Kenyans, especially  pastoralists from engaging in BBI talks.

 However, in a rejoinder, Poghisio said: “Those of us who have sensed that Kenya was on the verge of change and that our people should not be misled and left behind as happened in 2010, chose to engage and present our people’s agenda,” the West Pokot Senator told a press conference at Parliament Buildings yesterday.

He was flanked MPs Elijah Memusi (Kajiado Central), Moitalel ole Kenta (Narok North), Fatuma Gedi (Wajir Woman rep), Teddy Mwambire (Ganze), Gladwell Cheruiyot (Baringo Women Rep), William Kamket (Tiaty) and Ali Wario (Garsen).