BBI promise gives Kenyans hope after Corona darkness

Even as the country, and indeed the world  goes through the horror of an unpredictable pandemic of the corona virus, Kenyans have a few things to look forward to. They know that when all this is over, for surely it will in a not-so--long a time to come, a brighter day will dawn,

For it  is no longer a question of if, but when. Kenyans are now staring at the inevitability of a third referendum in 15 years as confirmed by Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) task force chairman Yusuf Haji.

The BBI steering committee is currently on a retreat writing its final report after the conclusion of validation sessions.

The report is expected to be out by June this year, paving way for the collection of one million signatures to set off the process of implementing the changes that Kenyans have proposed in recent months.

According to Haji, the dominant proposals submitted by various groups will take the country to a plebiscite.

It would be fair to say a referendum would be highly fulfilling for most Kenyans, given the exceptional public participation process employed by the BBI team ever since it was appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga to collect views on nine nagging issues Kenya has struggled with for decades.

The 14-member team travelled to all the 47 counties in Kenya and listened to all people ranging from ‘Wanjiku’ to special interest groups and leaders. Not even those who were initially opposed to the process can claim to have been left behind; all opinions were heard, and considered in the BBI Report published last year.

And after the report was made public, the BBI Steering Committee once again opened its doors to various regions collecting solutions to the unique problems affecting them. From Nyanza to Western, Coast, Eastern, Rift Valley, North Eastern and Central Kenya, no region was left out.

In all those regions, each comprising several counties, BBI popularization drives also saw the local people and their leaders jointly deliberate on solutions to issues they would like to see captured in the final report.

The resolutions were read in public and the people endorsed them. It is hard to imagine a better way to conduct an all-inclusive process.

One of the reasons the post-handshake constitution amendment proposals have been taken seriously is that they address major problems that Kenya has grappled with since 1963 independence.

When President Kenyatta shook hands with Odinga following the disputed 2017 presidential election, the two leaders made clear their determination to solve nine issues that have hindered the country’s development for decades.

These included corruption, divisive elections, safety and security, responsibilities and rights, devolution, ethnic antagonism and competition as well as lack of national ethos, inclusivity and shared prosperity.

The previous generation, consisting of Uhuru and Raila’s fathers, had not managed to address these issues. But their sons expressed their resolve to end the problems and clear the path for the next generation to thrive.

The BBI task force was tasked with the role of engaging Kenyans in finding solutions to the nine-point agenda.

After listening to all Kenyans in two rounds, Haji’s team says they have received solutions. The secretariat says it has divided the report into three implementation formats. Some will be effected through administrative action, others via legislation in Parliament and the rest through a referendum.

Notably, many groups that appeared before the task force preferred an extended Executive, want more punitive measures to deal with convicted corruption suspects and also a solution to divisive elections.

Altering the Executive structure to reintroduce positions such as that of prime minister is widely seen as a way to boost inclusivity and accountability in government and end divisive elections but requires the input of the people through a referendum.

There is still a lot in the final report that remains unknown to the public. But the revelation that Kenyan voters will have a direct say on critical matters of governance is a massive win for democracy in the country.

Ms Kiplagat comments on topical issues.