Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi and County Commissioner Kutswa Olaka on Monday launched the collection of BBI signatures, with the two leaders insisting that the exercise was purely a voluntarily affair and that no one is being forced on. – By Ramadhan Kambi.
Speaking at the launch, Governor Kingi said that the call to have the signatures was the beginning of the long journey to making amendments to the current constitution and it is an exercise done with the love for the county and the country in general.
“The journey of changing the constitution has just began. We shall collect the signatures and then the document will be sent to our county assemblies for debate and approval. Once it has been passed in the assembly, we shall have the referendum. It is that simply,” said Governor Kingi.
He said that who did not want to take part in the signature drives have their constitutional right to do so and that no one will ever be threatened because of the ongoing exercise.
“It is a voluntarily exercise. If you want to sign or deny, then that rests on you. Signing will not be forced on any person and that those who do not want to sign are free to stay away from the document.
We don’t want to hear a situation where an individual is denied government services just because they did not sign the BBI forms. No, that is not in Kilifi. We cannot do that, it is purely a voluntarily affair,” said Governor Kingi.
“Mr Olaka said Ganze Sub County was leading in the collection of signatures with 9,553 since the exercise began last week followed closely by Malindi Sub County with 6024 signatures.
Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa, an ally of Deputy President William Ruto and a member of Tangatanga team is among those opposing the BBI signature collection.
“Kilifi North has so far 2,373 signatures, Kilifi South with 2,460, Chonyi sub county with 2,776 while Kaloleni has 2,312 signatures,” said Mr Olaka.
Other sub counties include Kauma (2,819), Rabai(1,850) and Magarini(3,267).
Ganze MP Teddy Mwambire attributed the huge number due to continued sensitization to communities on the importance of the BBI to their lives.
