BBI team to roll out campaigns using radio, social media

Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Co-Chair Dennis Waweru updates journalists on the current state of BBI in the country. He said three counties have passed the bill and he is optimistic 35 counties will have passed the bill by end of February 2021 [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) secretariat has announced plans to use radio and social media to run a popularisation drive for the proposed constitutional changes.

BBI secretariat co-chair Dennis Waweru said the new strategy has been necessitated by the ban on political gatherings by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Uhuru on Thursday banned political rallies for 30 days in a move that spelt a major blow to the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020 popularisation campaigns.

“We have to continue the campaigns with strict adherence to the protocols by the ministry of health. We just need to change the strategy,” said Waweru.

The former MP said the team has already put in place an elaborate campaign strategy to reach every citizen on the content of the BBI report as the country prepares for the planned June referendum.

“Part of our new strategy following the ban of political rallies is to use the mass media to communicate to Kenyans. We will use radio and any other electronic media. We will involve the political figures in these campaigns but they have to be coordinated by the secretariat,” he explained.

The latest strategy by the team comes as the joint Senate Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights and Justice and Legal Affairs Committee of the National Assembly resumes public participation tomorrow.

Sources in the joint team indicated that there was a plan by the team to have its report ready for tabling when the two Houses resume from recess next week Tuesday

The two Houses seek to debate the Bill simultaneously before it can be taken to the people for a vote at the referendum.