BBI more likely to divide than unite the country

Kenyans are used to political fads. Among them is the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) which, as a political concept, captures imagination in many ways and is presently the talk of the nation in confusing rather than clearing matters. Every day, it seems to achieve the opposite of what it intended. It has three interlocking phases: The beginning, its current status that is more murky than clear, and the meaning of its likely future to the country. In the process, BBI seems to lose value.

The BBI beginnings are in the desperation that President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga found themselves in. They compete intensely, have fanatical followers, and have a love/hate relationship. The country reacts to their personal positions.

The background to their confrontation was the constitution which, in theory, should have reduced electoral feuds. The two have faced each other in three post 2010 Constitution elections and created additional frictions. Uhuru won every time but Raila, refusing to accept defeat, repeatedly made the constitution a centre of focus. He vowed to make the country ungovernable, and he somehow succeeded. Few people in Kenya have Raila’s political skill of calculated ‘unreasonableness’. The calculated moves of unreasonableness create and instil fear and force his opponents to make concessions to avoid or reduce chaos.

Was sliding

Raila successfully applied the theory against Mwai Kibaki in 2007/08. As a result, he was instrumental in the 2010 Constitution, and appeared poised to capture the presidency in 2012. The trouble for Raila was that Uhuru interfered with the projection by escaping the ICC trap, arousing nationalistic fervour, and galvanising his traditional Mt Kenya base and the Rift Valley with the help of William Ruto.

The two met again in 2017. Uhuru won and Raila refused to accept defeat. He instead instituted his un-governability theory that would have made it difficult for Uhuru to implement his Big 4 Agenda. Since the country was sliding instead of growing, both men were desperate and under pressure to accommodate each other. They acknowledged each other’s strength, engaged in the ‘handshake’, and signed documents as equals. They created the Building Bridges Initiative task force to look into issues that made them, and the country, quarrel.

Fast forward to November 2019; the task force delivered a report that was unveiled at Bomas; a guide to a more candid, deeper conversation. Initially, the ‘guide’ received positive public response because the draft presented at Bomas had something for every faction. It also elicited quiet hostility that led to increased tensions over BBI.

Extending the time for the task force to complete its work (June 2020) has not helped matters. Some political heavyweights want the task force to wind up by end of this month so that the country can have a referendum.

Political ruckus

The two BBI pictures, one of the task force and the other of politicians, are taking the country along the beaten path - a dark alley where divisions and tensions grow intense daily. The conversations taking place in the rallies have little to do with ‘cohesion’. BBI risks becoming a tool for politicians to fix each other, especially because the task force has disappeared in the political ruckus that has characterised BBI rallies.

The competing claims as to what the BBI is have achieved one thing; made the concept of BBI acceptable although it is not clear what it is that is acceptable. And this is what makes BBI’s future uncertain. There is bound to be friction involving the official BBI task force trying to fulfill its mandate on one side and opportunistic politicians on the other advancing their own agendas.

We have seen politicians hijack and overshadow the BBI task force as they dance on platforms issuing threats and exhibiting intolerance that BBI sought to fix in the first place. They do all those contradictory things in the name of Uhuru and the BBI.

When the final task force report comes out, BBI might become a political force or generate new acrimony because disappointed powerful players will complain and as expected, throw tantrums.

Depending on how they are handled, the BBI competing factions will most likely whimper away and Kenyans will turn to another political fad. If not, BBI will remain symbolic of good intentions badly managed and delivering the opposite of the original expectations.

Prof Munene teaches History and International Relations at USIU