Busia, Kakamega and Vihiga set in motion process to pass BBI Bill

Busia county assembly Speaker Bernard Wamalwa leaves the chamber after presiding over a session. [Ignatius Odanga/Standard]

Busia County Assembly Speaker Bernard Wamalwa has urged residents to attend public participation forums next week and give out their views before the BBI draft bill is returned to the assembly.

Busia, Kakamega and Vihiga county assemblies have set in motion the process to pass the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2020.

The Justice and Legal Affairs House Committees will now start collecting views from locals next week across the seven constituencies - Matayos, Butula, Budalang’i, Funyula, Teso South, Teso North and Nambale - as the ward reps lay the ground for passing the document.

Siaya was the first county to pass the BBI bill on Wednesday.

Wamalwa confirmed that copies of the BBI report were available and will be distributed to locals.

“Three days have been set aside purposely for public participation, members of public should come out in large numbers and air out their views.”

“We are at a very critical stage and members of county assembly understand this well, those with reservations on BBI let them come out and share with the members of the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee,” the Speaker added.

Wamalwa defended the proposal to award Ward Representatives a car grant, noting that just like senators and MPs, they too deserve the car grant.

JLAC chairman David Kokonya (Malaba South) said they will try as a team to ensure they collect many views from the public.

He called on his colleagues to sensitize their electorate on the BBI. “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.

“I have no doubt that the bill will be passed by majority,” said Obwogo.

In Kakamega, the majority leader, Joel Ongoro, summoned MCAs for a special meeting to deliberate on the BBI draft bill.

Ongoro said they are determined to become among the first counties to pass the document "because we agree to its contents”.

He said the entire house was pro-BBI "and we could take the shortest time to have the document passed without any hitch."

Vihiga Governor Wilbur Ottichilo disclosed that he would meet local MCAs to discuss the BBI draft Bill. 

"I will meet them to deliberate on the issue and agree on when to pass it, this county is fully behind BBI," said the county chief.

According to him, 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 will be guaranteed increased allocation from the National Treasury.

Earlier, Budalang'i MP Raphael Wanjala argued that Western would embrace BBI because all leaders from the region support it.

"Who will stand against the BBI when ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya Moses Wetang'ula support it? We are all behind the BBI and our people will vote for it at the referendum," argued Wanjala.