Raila announces last-minute change to Mombasa BBI rally

Handshake partner Raila Odinga on Friday announced a last-minute change to the BBI rally scheduled for January 25 in Mombasa.

While addressing a pre-conference attended by politicians and local Coast leaders, the former Prime Minister announced that the rally would be held at the Mama Ngina Waterfront Park and not the Tononoka grounds as earlier arranged.

The Mombasa rally has caused a heated exchange between pro-BBI politicians and those who claim to be deliberately ignored in the discussions of the report.

MPs said to be allied to Deputy President William Ruto commonly referred to as "Tanga Tanga" announced that they would be joining the BBI rallies earlier in the week.

"To our utter disappointment, at recent public rallies in Kisii and Kakamega leaders resorted to the very callous tactics rejected by the BBI report, backsliding into the reviled old order that Kenyans are running away from.

"To this end we demand that the entire BBI process be driven in an open and transparent manner by the gazetted committee. Our participation & organization of BBI rallies shall be through personal contributions," Senator Kipchumba Murkmen declared on Tuesday.

MPs attacked ahead of Mombasa BBI rally

MPs Aisha Jumwa (Malindi) and Mohammed Ali "Jicho Pevu" (Nyali) were pelted with stones just moments ahead of the pre-conference as they attempted to address the media.

The two encountered a mob of rowdy youth who also assaulted journalists in Mombasa covering the event.

Both MPs claimed that the troublemakers had been hired by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho to cause the fracas.

"Hii tabia mtaacha…ambia Joho azidi kuwapa pesa za kipumbavu….njoo wewe mwanaume wanaume wamefika sasa….BBI kama wanasema ni ya kuunganisha wa Pwani lazima iunganishe wa Pwani….kama ni ya kuunganisha wakenya lazima iunganishe Wakenya," Moha Jicho Pevu stated.

The two MPs later spotted among the delegates at the pre-conference hosted by Mr Odinga.