The Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) is President Uhuru Kenyatta's campaign gift to Opposition chief Raila Odinga ahead of the 2022 presidential election, Third Way Alliance boss Ekuru Aukot has said.
Dr Aukot said BBI, formed last year after a political truce - handshake - between the President and Raila, was a “pet project” between two individuals and did not represent the wishes of millions of Kenyans.
“That BBI is a confusion, directionless, duplicitous of functions and a waste of money. If I had that Sh10 billion given to them I would build proper classrooms... It is an agreement between two individuals and does not represent 46 million Kenyans,” said Aukot.
“I think Uhuru sympathised so much with Raila that he decided to give him a political gift of campaigning for 2022, because... how come out of the nine points none them says go collect views to seek to amend the Constitution,” added Aukot.
Aukot was speaking on Point Blank, a political show hosted by Tony Gachoka that airs every Wednesday on KTN News.
Aukot is seeking a referendum with his Punguza Mizigo Bill that has already been tabled in all 47 county assemblies after attaining the 1 million signatures threshold.
However, the High Court stopped debating of the Bill by counties pending the determination of two cases that include verification of the signatures.
Aukot’s Bill addresses seven thematic areas primarily anchored around cutting the cost of government representation including slashing the number of MPs from 416 to 147.
Top political leaders in the country including Raila and Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka have trashed the Punguza Mizigo Bill urging Kenyans to wait for the BBI to make its recommendations.
BBI is set to complete its final report by September after collecting views countrywide since March last year. The report will be published for the public and later be formed into a Bill that will set the grounds for a referendum.
Aukot said his Bill was people-centred and not a political contest and asked critics to first read it.
“Nobody has a monopoly of ideas of how this country can be changed, we are all thinkers. People who think that change in this country can come through them are mistaken. Wanjiku has awakened and will take over this country very soon,” he said.
Aukot estimated that his Bill might prompt a referendum early next year or even in December.
He said there was support on the ground, with the County Assemblies Forum having endorsed the Bill and some deputy governors backing it.
“From what I hear from county assemblies, they are so eager to pass this Bill even this month... so the ball will be on the National Assembly and Senate's (court). Once they pass or reject it, it will come to the people of Kenya in a referendum so I’m saying in the early quarter of next year (we) might be headed for a referendum,” said Aukot.
The politician also maintained that no unseen political forces were behind his Bill and was not targeting anyone.
“Kenyans have given us money and in our pay-bill, we have already received Sh500,000… Nobody can accuse me of political patronage, I am my own man,” said Aukot.
“I am only targeting issues affecting Kenyans, such as corruption, cost of representatives, gender imbalance, reducing the wage bill and giving more money to counties."
Aukot played a major role in the making of the 2010 Constitution as a member of the Committee of Experts.
“I don’t regret having come up with the 2010 Constitution. The question we should ask ourselves is if the Constitution is serving Kenyans effectively… a constitution is just a piece of paper; you have to breathe life into it,” he said.
Other proposals by Punguza Mizigo Bill include strengthening the Senate to be an upper House that has veto powers over the National Assembly and also a president who serves for one seven-year term instead of the current two five-year terms.
Aukot described his Bill as pro-women saying it tracked the history of gender imbalance in the country and improved it.
“To end gender imbalance in this country we’ve said that each county will elect one man and one woman to the county assembly,” he said.
Aukot rejected accusations that he had baited MCAs as part of his strategy to get the Bill passed through the popular initiative. The Bill proposes more funds allocations to the counties.
“They are part of the process of amending the Constitution through popular initiative,” he said.
“There are only two ways you can amend the Constitution, the parliamentary initiative and popular initiative. It cannot be amended by pronouncements and shouting in funerals,” said Aukot. Critics say the Bill lacks public participation, claims Aukot dismissed.
