BBI meetings should be open to all factions

Fears that the Building Bridges Initiative may end up dividing the country further are turning real. What happened at the BBI rally in Kitui County Saturday left no doubt that the country is getting more polarised than ever. The combative and garrulous Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria, one of the strong lieutenants of Deputy President William Ruto and movers in the Tangatanga wing of Jubilee, was forcibly ejected from the podium by an angry crowd over his perceived anti-BBI stance.

Clearly, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The path ahead looks pretty thorny. Clashes seem imminent because of deep hatred between various factions of the political elite. The BBI has ceased to be a vehicle for reconciliation and ceasefire. Instead, it has become the lightning rod for political contest. BBI is being perceived as a platform for political and social marketing. Proponents and critics alike seek to use the initiative to enhance their political capital in the wake of the exit of President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2022.

In the circumstances, everything is boiling down to political transition and all the formations and policies being espoused have a direct bearing on the 2020 elections.

The point of concern is the intense rivalry over BBI. Since its launch by President Kenyatta and Opposition Leader Raila Odinga, itself an outcome of the March 2018 ‘handshake’ between the two erstwhile protagonists, the initiative has engendered deep divisions. Dr Ruto and his strong and expansive network of political players, have been dismissive of the BBI ostensibly because it is seen as a direct hindrance to the DP’s political ambitions of becoming the President.

On a few occasions, Dr Ruto and his camp have expressed support for the BBI but everything else they do demonstrates their antipathy to the initiative. Whatever the case, they deserve attention.

BBI’s success depends on goodwill and acceptance by the entire population. No single group should claim superiority or monopolise it. Similarly, no group should be excluded. Indeed, the BBI national steering committee has announced plans to convene public meetings starting this week. Let the public come out in large numbers to air their views. But the point is that BBI should not create the animosity we are witnessing. Proponents of BBI must embrace everyone including critics. Similarly, plans for parallel BBI rallies should be shelved.

We cannot build bridges by burning them. Public participation is vital for BBI’s success and no one should be excluded or humiliated as happened in Kitui.

Which is why President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga have insisted that citizens should read the document and internalise the proposals. Indeed, the BBI national steering committee has announced plans to convene public meetings starting this week to allow members of the public to air their views. Let the public come out in large numbers to make that happen