Allow Kenyans to read BBI report and interrogate it – Weekly Citizen

Weeks after the Buiding Bridges Initiative task force concluded writing its report, speculations on contents of the report are rife, prompting the government spokesperson Cyrus Oguna to call on critics to hold up their horses.

Those opposed to it would heighten the anti-BBI campaigns after the 14-member taskforce announced that it is waiting to present the report to Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga.

The two leaders are yet to receive the report but Raila has given a hint of what to expect. The report will be subjected to another round of debate and validation. After this, a Bill will be prepared.

To the William Ruto brigade, the BBI proposals had been conceived by Raila with the ultimate goal being to scuttle DP’s 2022 presidential bid.

The BBI taskforce had been mandated to gather and collate public views on how they want to be governed based on duo’s nine-point of shared objectives.

But the DP team’s script has remained clear. The BBI report must be rejected no matter how good the proposals are for the country.

During public hearings, the BBI taskforce visited and pitched camps in all 47 counties.

The critics of the initiative aver that it would recommend the creation of the positions of prime minister and two deputies. This is the main ground of rallying Kenyans to reject the report.

But from where I sit, I beg to differ with them. Allow me to explain. I have listened to the views of many Kenyans from different ethnic groups and most of them agree that it is time to do away with presidential system which is anchored on winner-takes-all. Reason? It is the root cause of the violence we have been witnessing in every election cycle since the repeal of Section 2A that ushered in multiparty democracy in 1992.

We should replace it with a hybrid system of government in which the executive power would be shared by the president and prime minister. This system would promote inclusivity, peace and unity because power will not be exercised by one person.

If this is one of the proposals and it is adopted, this is not the first time that Kenya would be run under this kind of governance. In the aftermath of 2007/2008, this system was introduced and it governed us for five years.

But during this period, the law was not well defined in terms of outlining and assigning the powers of each office. One can therefore understand why Raila would complain that some state decisions were made without him being consulted.

Notably, Kenya will join the league of other nations across the world where this system has been working very well.

The cost of maintaining the position of premier will be far much less if compared to what Kenya will save if the number of elective positions, constitutional commissions would be reduced. So, the assertions by DP allies do not hold any water

Notably, the proposal to create the premier’s post had been factored in Bomas draft constitution of 2005.

Again, it should be noted that Ruto was poised to take that position if ODM had formed the government in 2007. Sometimes back, the DP made these revelations when he toured the home turf of ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi. After we lost the election, Raila took my position and gave Mudavadi the deputy premier’s slot.

I am sure the BBI report would be contain a wide range of proposals presented by Kenyans. So, why would some people focus on only one proposal? This is a well-calculated strategy to confuse and mislead Kenyans. I don’t expect them to have their way. Kenyans have become cleverer.