• The ODM’s move is informed by the fact that the report in its current state is too complex with a lot of legalese which common man might find difficulty in reading and understanding.
• The team that has already started its work is expected to conclude the exercise before the year ends to set stage for a series of countrywide sensitisation tours next year to explain the document.
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM party has picked a technical team to break down the Building Bridges Initiative report for the public.
The team, made up of top lawyers, academicians and party officials, is expected to simplify the 156-page document into a language that is easily understood by ordinary Kenyans.
The ODM’s move is informed by the fact that the report in its current state is too complex with a lot of legalese.
The team has already started its work and it is expected to conclude the exercise before the year ends. This will set the stage for a series of countrywide sensitisation tours next year to explain the document.
“The team will make the document reader-friendly and understandable to people, especially our party members,” a source at Orange House told the Star.
ODM chairman John Mbadi confirmed the creation of the technical team but did not divulge much details.
The Suba South MP, however, cautioned against reading too much from the move, saying the team’s mandate is purely to simplify the report.
“We have a team that is breaking down the document for easy consumption. The report will be taken to the relevant party organ,” Mbadi said on the phone.
“This is just breaking down the report in the manner it can easily be understood and nothing more.”
The technocrats will present its synthesized version of the report in booklets, which will then be made available to party members at the nearest party offices.
The star has established that university don Adams Oloo, who also served in the BBI team, is part of the team constituted by the ODM Secretariat on direct instructions from Raila.
Senator Kithure Kindiki’s blood brother, Prof Isaiah Kindiki, a dyed-in-the-wool Raila supporter, is also in the technical team. Also in the team are Joseph Simeha, Koitalel ole Kina and ODM Executive Director Oduor Ong’wen.
The team unveiled last week will report to the Central Management Committee of the party who will then subject the document to relevant party organs for onward transmission to members.
Both President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila have urged Kenyans to first go through the document ahead of the proposed January conference to chart the way forward.
The ODM’s move comes at a time when the political class is sharply divided on the method to actualise the BBI recommendations.
While Uhuru-Raila axis are showing a soft spot for people driven initiative, Deputy President William Ruto’s wing is agitating for a Parliamentary process.