Nakuru County Assembly will now hold public hearings on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Bill at the sub-county levels.
Last Wednesday, the assembly published a notification inviting memorandum from stakeholders to be received by February 17 and a public hearing on February 18 at the County Assembly chambers. The move was opposed by Kabazi Ward Representative Peter Mbae.
Dr Mbae petitioned Speaker Joel Maina Kairu to rescind the decision to hold the public participation meetings at the assembly chambers.
He suggested that the BBI public participation meetings should be held at the grassroots.
Following Dr Mbae's petition, the assembly has placed another advertisement in the local dailies, cancelling its earlier plans to hold the BBI public participation meetings at the assembly chambers.
"Further to the advertisement that appeared in the Daily Nation on February 10, 2021, on public participation, in regards to the constitutional amendment Bill 2021 (BBI), members of the public are hereby notified that the oral submissions shall be held at the sub-county level as listed herein under," stated the communication signed by the Clerk to the Assembly Joseph Malinda.
The public participation meetings will now be held for four days from February 17 – February 22 in all the 11 sub-counties.
On February 17 the meetings will be held in Kuresoi South, Kuresoi North and Molo starting from 10am.
On February 18 residents of Subukia and Bahati sub-counties will have an opportunity to air their views on the Bill. The following day, the public hearings will be held in Naivasha and Gilgil sub-counties
Residents of Nakuru East, Nakuru West, Rongai and Njoro sub-counties will have a chance to air their views on February 22 at Old Town Hall, Kampi Ya Moto and Home Craft centre hall respectively.
"I welcome the decision by the county assembly to revise its earlier plan to hold BBI public participation meetings at the assembly chamber and allow for public participation meetings to be held at the sub-county levels," said Dr Mbae.
"I urge all Nakuru County residents to attend the meetings and give their views which will inform how the MCAs will vote in the assembly. The time to listen to the citizens is now," said Dr Mbae.
When the BBI Amendment Bill was tabled in the House last week, Dr Mbae pushed for the public participation to be held at the ward levels.
However, the Speaker and Kaptembwo Ward MCA Peter Kajwang objected saying the process might not meet the set timelines if the public participation was held in all the 55 wards.
During the heated debate which at one stage was reduced into a shouting match, MCAs opposed Dr Mbae’s views.
"Inviting the whole county of 945,000 registered voters to a hall of about 200 people during Covid-19 times is impractical and will lock out the majority of Nakuru citizens," argued Dr Mbae.
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