The truce between two big fish in the embattled 2017, March 4 general elections in Kenya was a significant decision by its partipants, which saw restoration of harmony in the nation's political atmosphere. The supreme court of Kenya nullified the results of the election in a historical ruling by the seven-judge jury of the pinnacle court in the land.
The nation was henceforth marred with political unrest that battered county’s economy and consequently leaving it dwindling at an alarming rate. Experts had also foreseen a very dangerous and pathetic economic situation in the offing, that could apparently leave Kenyans in abject poverty suppose the events of the election aftermath persisted even one month into the future. Perhaps, these prospects had spurred a lot of fear about how the people would manage the future.
The Building Bridges Initiative is an offspring of the cease-fire between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his former rival, Raila Odinga. Nearly a whole year after burying the hatchet, a grand idea was presented to people of Kenya that preceded a nationwide campaign aimed at collecting public opinion concerning the current constitution. Those suggestions would later on compile and generate a single publication, the BBI report, through a formidable task force that was appointed and commissioned by the President and his henchman, the former Prime minister of Kenya.
Today, as Kenyans continue to enjoy the fruit of serenity within county's boarders, which is inarguably right to think is bred by the handshake, drums of BBI are beating loud across the nation and everyone is trying to see themselves included in that mega-document.
Several matters, including the pertinent issue of inclusivity in leadership which, heavily concerns women, youth and disabled is well addressed thus, we can see how leaders representing those groups of people so determined to see BBI win.
The political elites of the land who right at the BBI alter, articulated their consensus and differences leading to fierce antagonism between BBI proponents and oppossers attended the launch of the report.
The theme of inclusivity aside, of all topics highlighted in the report, the hottest theme relates to audit of the executive arm of the government where, we shall see extra offices: One of prime minister and his two deputies amongst others that this initiative suggests to have in the constitution.
However, it appears like this the idea to introduce extra offices in the government does not auger well for the political posterity of some big wigs. Certainly, because the reasons cited for the essence of the additional positions could not be convincing to their understanding about the entire BBI volume, they are so attentive and blocking any channel leading to unnecessary inclusions into the supreme document of the nation-the constitution.
Divergence of opinion about contents of the publication is probably breaking down the existing political bridges than mending them. The two opinion camps in the government- Tangatanga and Kieleweke are now having a heated face-off in trying to ensure every opinion from everyone is included in the document without any form of bias, all for the benefit of the whole nation.
Until now, most people are likely to remain indecisive about their support for BBI. Apparently, the exercise to collect one million signatures nationwide necessary for organizing a referendum, if the rate of Covid-19 infections had diminished by late last month, would lack its democratic significance.
The public must therefore be aware of any constitutional amendments through civic education on the BBI so that, even those who cannot read it get insights about what is contained therein in order for them to decide whether to pass or reject the report when referendum comes.