PRESS STATEMENT BY THE PASTORALISTS PARLIAMENT

GROUP (PPG) AND THE FRONTIER COUNTIES

DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL (FCDC) ON THE BUILDING BRIDGES
INITIATIVE REPORT (BBI)
Governors and MPs United For Pastoralists’ Community and
Other Minority Groups In Kenya

Background:

Today we are gathered here as the leaders representing more

than ten million people residing 15 counties and represented
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by 109 Members of Parliament. The PPG region constitutes
approximately 80% of the landmass of Kenya.

We are here to make a public pronouncement and add our

clear voice to the ongoing public debate on the Building
Bridges Initiative Report (BBI). As members of the pastoralist
community and people’s representatives, we are brought
together by the commonality of our interests. We stand
together to bring forward our voice and give our irreducible
minimums in the BBI Report. The BBI report has excluded our

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detailed presentations to the taskforce and reduced our
citizens’ gains on - equity in resource allocation,
representation, gender parity, needs of the Persons With
Disabilities, and protection of the community land among
others.

We demand our issues form part of the Kenyan conversation

and be included in the proposed ammendments.

The following are our IRREDUCIBLE MINIMUMS for us to

support the BBI:

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1. Resource Allocation:

- The proposed amendment on Article 203 (1) of the

constitution be DELETED and Article 203 of the
constitution be retained as it is stipulated in the 2010
constitution.

2. Representation:
- Secure and protect the 290 existing constituencies as
they are and entrench them in the constitution

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 - On the proposed additional 70 seats – we demand a
distribution that guarantees each of the 47 Counties
has at least one slot.
- We oppose the use of party lists in party primaries.
- Retain 47 women representatives in the National
Assembly.
3. Community land protection: Pastoralism is the most
viable land use practice in the drylands and Pastoralists’
land must be recognized by government and policy-
makers as a key factor of production and important
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 sector to our national economy and our peoples’
livelihoods.
- Protect land use policies for pastoral lands for grazing
and agriculture
- Protect game reserves and wildlife corridors -land
adjacent to parks set aside.

4. Health Service Commission:

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 - The proposal to create the Health Service Commission
undermines the gains made by devolution as Health is
a devolved function.
5. Equalization Fund:
- Increase the sunset clause and restart the 20 year
period for the fund from date of commencement of the
fund disbursement as for it to achieve original
constitutional intent that aimed to equalize
infrastructure of marginalized regions

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6. Senate:
- Propose Senate as an Upper House
- The delegation model of voting must be retained. We
reject the proposed deletion of Article 123.
- Senate to approve all constitutional appointments
7. Judiciary.
Independence of judiciary is paramount to the
protection rights of the people of Kenya. We want the
Ombudsman proposal be removed. Independence of the

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 judiciary must be protected through the
operationalization of the Judiciary Fund.
8. IEBC – the independence of the IEBC as an election
arbiter is paramount and must be devoid of political
party interference.

9. Discrimination:
- Funds be set aside for registration of persons and
issuance of National Identity Cards and other crucial
documents to make sure all pastoralists of age are
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 registered and can access services as any other citizen
without discriminatory vetting.
- Address issues of Human Rights violations
10. Education:
- Guarantee Access to Education as right for the people
of North Eastern and ASALS. TSC has withdrawn ALL
teachers fron North Eastern counties and no back to
school strategies in place, thus putting the future of
our children at risk.
- We would like to propose the localisation recruitment
of teachers

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 11. Pastoralist livelihood:

- We want to establishment of Livestock Marketing

Authority with capacity of vessels for exporting live
animals to competitive markets

In Conclusion, we would like to reiterate that we want to

enrich this process so that it is true to its objective of having
a cohesive, inclusive, equitable and equal Kenya. The BBI is a
proposal to amend the constitution and laws so as to attain

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the aspirations of the Kenyan people and as such, is not cast
in stone.
 

SIGNED:

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H. E. Capt. Ali Roba – FCDC Chairman
Hon. Aden Dualle – MP Patron Pastoralist Parliamentary
Group
Hon. Alois Lentoimaga – MP Chairman PPG
Hon. Rehema Dida Jaldesa – MP Sec. Gen. PPG
Hon. Bashir Abdullahi – MP Vice Chairman PPG
H. E. Josphat Koli Nanok – Governor
Hon.

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