BBI impact and why it's difficult to postpone polls

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga during the launch of the BBI signature collection exercise at KICC, Nairobi, last year. [Courtesy]

The May 13 High Court condemnation of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) has thrown many political careers into a nose-dive, with the likelihood of ultimate political destitution and even extinction for some. Billed as the silver bullet to end election-related violence in Kenya, BBI has also been seen as a political power-sharing instrument for the political top brass. 

COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli has been most clear about the political designs of the initiative. As one of the foremost champions, Atwoli has seized every public opportunity to tell Kenyans that those behind BBI will form the government, next year. This, especially, became his rallying call at BBI popularisation rallies across the country at the start of last year, before the novel coronavirus put a sudden stop to the meetings.