From second left: Deputy Governors Dr Patrick Lumumba (Vihiga), Prof Philip Kutima (Kakamega) and Charles Ngome (Bungoma) hand over BBI Signature documents to Nabii Nabwera (left), the Regional BBI Coordinator at Bukhungu, Kakamega. [Mumo Munuve, Standard]
Public participation forums scheduled for this week and residents urged give their views before the document is debated by MCAs.
Busia, Kakamega and Vihiga county assemblies have set in motion the process to pass the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2020.
So far, the Bill has been tabled before Members of County Assembly (MCAs) in Busia and subsequently committed to the Justice and Legal Affairs House Committee.
The committee will now start collecting views from locals this week across the seven constituencies – Matayos, Butula, Budalang’i, Funyula, Teso South, Teso North and Nambale – as the ward representatives lay the ground for passing the document.
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Siaya was the first county to pass the BBI Bill on Wednesday and many other counties in Western region appear to be determined to have the document passed.
Gather views
Busia County Assembly Speaker Bernard Wamalwa urged local residents to turn up for public forums scheduled for this week and give their views before the Bill is returned to the Assembly.
Wamalwa confirmed that copies of the BBI report were available and will be distributed to locals before public forums kick off.
Justice and Legal Affairs Committee Chairman David Kokonya (Malaba South) said they will try as a team to ensure they collect many views from the public.
“The MCAs have a key role to play in this process. We should help our people to understand what is contained in the document,” said Kokonya.
Nangina MCA John Obwogo hinted that the Bill will sail through once it returns to the Assembly for debate and voting.
In Kakamega, County Assembly Majority Leader Joel Ongoro has summoned MCAs for a Special Sitting to deliberate on the BBI Bill.
Ongoro said they are determined to become among first counties to pass the document.
He said the entire House was pro-BBI “and we could take shortest time to have the document passed without any hitch.”
Vihiga Governor Wilbur Ottichilo disclosed that he would meet the MCAs to discuss the Bill.
According to Mr Ottichilo, a proposal to increase allocation to counties from 15 per cent to 35 per cent was a major score for devolution and a relief to smaller counties such as Vihiga which could be guaranteed increased allocation from the National Treasury.
Earlier, Budalang’i MP Raphael Wanjala argued that western region would embrace BBI because all leaders from the region support it.
“Who will stand against the BBI when ANC leader Mudavadi and Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetang’ula supports it? We are all behind the BBI and our people will vote for it at referendum,” said Wanjala.
Bungoma Governor Wycliffe Wangamati has also been drumming support for BBI.
