Senators allied to Deputy President William Ruto have warned that they will not be coerced into voting in a particular manner for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) bill.
The Senate will today, May 11, 2021 vote on the Constitution Amendment Bill 2020, whereby a result in favour will initiate the referendum process.
Last Thursday, May 6, some members of parliament allied to the DP elicited mixed reactions after they voted in favour of the bill. This piles pressure on the senators.
Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, later alleged that the lawmakers were paid off to vote for the bill.
Meru Senator Mithika Linturi maintained that Senators in the Dp's camp will not be backed into voting in a particular manner.
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The legislators have in the course of the BBI process slammed the document as unconstitutional, a waste of time and public resources.
"I will be guided by my understanding of theory and philosophy in Constitution-making because I am not a layman. I will vote in a manner that makes sense of Constitution-making and produces a good constitution for this country for posterity and future generations.
"But you can be sure I will not be intimidated. I can assure the people of Meru that I will not disappoint them. we will fight on our feet rather than live on our knees," Linturi declared.
Murang'a Senator Irungu Kang'ata backed Linturi's sentiments quoting a reference from the Bible.
"Those who are asking how I will vote on the BBI, and keep reminding me of numbers, read Judges 6. Gideon downsized his army of 30,000 to 300 men. He used the "shock and awe" tactic and won," Kang'ata stated.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and proponents of the BBI are said to have heaped pressure on Senators to pass the bill.
