The highly anticipated Building Bridges Initiative conventions that were to be held in Malindi on Tuesday and Wednesday in Mombasa have been postponed.

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Kilifi North MP Owen Baya said the meetings were unfortunately canceled last minute due to undisclosed reasons but will be rescheduled to a date that will be communicated to stakeholders, opinion leaders and residents of the larger Coastal region.

"Either way, when they reschedule these meetings be rest assured that our people will be fully represented!" said the ODM lawmaker.

According to Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi, the Building Bridges Taskforce stakeholders convention was supposed to enable Coast residents and leaders to present their issues as a people while advocating for the introduction of a full federal governance system that will see over 80 per cent of Kenya’s budget being distributed to counties for better service delivery.

After the October 3, weekend meeting that brought together leaders drawn from Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani (JKP) including Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho, who co-chaired the meeting, Governor Kingi held a follow-up consultative meeting with the Kilifi County leadership on Monday October 5.

They deliberated on the issues to be presented before the Building Bridges Initiative Committee (BBI) in the wake of the calls for a referendum.

Read: Coast leaders hold 'crisis' meeting ahead of Tuesday's crucial convention

They agreed to take a leading role and drive the agenda in discussion on the need for a referendum putting in mind the unity of Coast and how residents will benefit. 

"We will take full advantage of this referendum debate and see to it that our issues form and guide the referendum process," he said.

"For and on behalf of the people of this region and particularly for Kilifi County, we have drafted policies based on ideologies, development, and unity as we fight for a more equal, unified and all-inclusive nation state."

As Coast leaders handle the referendum issue, Kingi said their unity as the Coastal people will form the baseline in the discussion to a new referendum. 

As a region, he said they need to know the ideals and aspirations of the Coastal citizens then "we will be able to push our agendas knowing that we’re a unified region that stands for what is best for us and our people."