BBI report best arsenal for gender-rule issue, says Waiguru

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has revealed that the final Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report could be out in three days.

Addressing the press after a meeting held by pro-Handshake women team “Embrace” in Nairobi, Kirinyaga County boss revealed that they expect the report to be released in a matter of days. 

Waiguru pointed out that the Embrace team is committed to ensuring that the BBI team considers all its proposals. Part of the issues the team wants to be integrated into the BBI report includes the adherence to the two-thirds gender-rule. This, Waiguru said, should cut across from the legislature to the corporate world.

“We are hopeful that all our inputs in the BBI process will be taken into consideration with the experts and as they finalise their reports, we are expecting that the proposals we have made on the achievement of two-thirds gender principal will be in the BBI report,” she said.

The governor said that they are optimistic that the team of experts will settle the contentious gender-rule principal that has threatened the existence of current Parliament.

This comes just a day after a group of legislators supporting President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga converged in Huruma, Nairobi, to beat the drums in preparation of the final report.

The legislators vowed support for the report saying that they will remain undeterred by criticism from their colleagues allied to Deputy President William Ruto.

Westlands MP Timothy Wanyonyi rubbished claims by DP Ruto allies that the initiative was meant to create positions for selected political leaders. Wanyonyi said that the country would be united even further by the implementation of the report.

“BBI is about creating a law for posterity, it is not about creating positions for two people. We want to make this country stable for investors,” Wanyonyi said.

The MPs launched attacks at DP Ruto and his allies saying they were insincere about their disapproval of the BBI.

“Kenya is a united country and we will not tolerate anyone who tries to divide us into the poor versus the rich,” said Nominated MP Maina Kamanda.

The MPs who were present at the gathering included Nominated MP Maina Kamanda, Anthony Oluoch (Mathare), Tim Wanyonyi (Westlands), Esther Passaris (Nairobi) Babu Owino (Embakasi East), George Aladwa (Makadara), Mercy Gakuya (Kasarani), Imran Okoth (Kibra) and Waihenya Ndirangu (Roysambu).

Adding to the gospel of the BBI is a recent message by the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga at a funeral in Usenge, Siaya County; where he told a gathering that the report would soon be out.

Raila back on it

According to Mr Odinga, tyres will soon hit the roads to popularise report as soon as he and Uhuru receive it.

“Our people should prepare. We are preparing for the future and we will blow the whistle very soon. It is only a few days before we bring reggae back,” said Raila.

He said that the initiative is to cure various ills among them those dating back to pre-independence.

“More than 50 years since we gained independence, we have been unable to reduce some of the problems our people have faced and that is why we have decided to change this narrative,” he said, adding, “We brought a new constitution. We have devolution but it is not working well and that is why we are pushing for reforms.”

Parallel to this is a declaration by the DP vowing to oppose the report on grounds that it will only serve the interest of few selfish leaders.

“There are people who are complaining that a person of my calibre is talking of small business people. I am the deputy president now but I was a roadside chicken seller. It is possible to have the small businesses grow to large enterprises,” said the DP in his Embu tour.

The BBI team have until October 23 to hand over the final report after they retreated into the process last year after finishing public participation on August 9.