Why BBI is a ladder to a more progressive Kenya

Delegates follow the launch of the Building Bridges Report at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi on October 26, 2020. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

The stability of a nation is the anchor to its socio-economic progress. This truism was at the heart of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s address during the official launch of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report at the Bomas of Kenya.

The President made clear what is holding back delivery of public services – toxic politics that leads to too much pleading and bleeding. In a new twist, the utility of the late President Daniel Moi’s slogan of ‘siasa mbaya maisha mbaya’ was apparent.

As the President narrated, our brand of politics never leaves a new office holder to hit the ground running. First, you have to set aside nearly two years to comb through and straighten the messy trail of presidential elections. Two years to another general election, the country is again turned on its head as campaign drums sound through all corners.

Sadly, for President Kenyatta the only year which he could have used to harness government energy to deliver on the Big Four Agenda, his deputy is charting a different path, something that the Head of State dramatized at the Bomas event.

It is for this reason that Kenyatta is keen to leave behind a united, cohesive and stable society, when he finishes his second term in 2022. A key panacea of achieving this dream is the BBI, jointly fronted by the President and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

The handshake between the two leaders in March 2018 that finally spawned the BBI was a political ceasefire following the contested presidential elections a year earlier. The fragility of the country was manifest in multiple fronts. The economy was in tatters – investors fleeing the country in droves, for other markets. Ethnic animosity was spiralling. Even the family fabric was increasingly torn given the increased cost of living, and lost livelihoods. All these were happening, despite the Constitution 2010 being in force.

Following the truce, however, the political temperatures cooled and a sense of peace descended on the country. Life once again assumed quick flight with economic growth getting back on the positive curve. The handshake was precursor to talks inclusive dialogues and consultations that have now been crystalized in the BBI report. 

Essentially, the report’s recommendations are not in competition with the Constitution. They play a complementary role and if properly harnessed, can strengthen and give even more meaning to the country’s governance framework.

Many Kenyans share in President Kenyatta’s vision of a united, cohesive and prosperous Kenya. The youthful population is desirous of productive engagements that can leverage their talents, energy and synergy to make Kenya an inclusive and progressive economy.

The Covid-19 global pandemic is another opportunity denier the current administration has to contend with. The virus is clearly on an upswing with possible second wave taking root in the country. It is going to take enormous efforts to rebuild the economy, a task that will extend beyond 2022.

These factors demand a carefully designed government approach which can only be achieved on the backdrop of stable and predictable political environment. In this endeavour, citizens too must play their part. Wanainchi are the roots that nourish a democratic state system. They are equally the ones who provide ready hands and energy to tear down decades of progress.

Though not wholly perfect, the BBI recommendations provide avenues to navigate some of the most strenuous blocks to a stable Kenya. At the launch, it was heartening to see speakers either support or make useful suggestions on how to better the recommendations. The journey to a better Kenya is an incremental endeavour. We have BBI as another rung to take us to a new level.

- Mr Adhere comments on politics and governance