- The MP said some people support the BBI because they like Uhuru and Raila, and not the process itself.
- The ongoing public regional meetings, spearheaded by Raila have divided leaders down the middle.
Image: /Jack Owuor
Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe on Friday asked Kenyans to support the Building Bridges Initiative whether they like or dislike those behind it.
Wangwe said in Kakamega that there are those who are opposing the BBI because they hate President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga.
He said others support the BBI because they like the two leaders and not the process itself.
Wangwe said the BBI is critical to achieving a self-regulating constitution that guarantees the smooth running of the government and Kenyans should embrace it for posterity.
"We passed a Constitution that was 80 per cent good in 2010. A window to revisit the 20 per cent has opened, and we now risk losing the plot if we link it to liking or hating of the personalities behind the process," he added.
Wangwe said the BBI seeks to create the missing connection between the three arms of government – Executive, Legislature and Judiciary – to ensure seamless operations in service delivery.
He said the process seeks to fuse the Executive with the Legislature by having ministers appointed from among elected MPs as opposed to having a Cabinet that consists fully of technocrats.
"You can imagine a situation where National Assembly Majority leader Aden Duale brings a government memo from a Cabinet that he does not sit in on the floor of the House for approval or when most confront a Cabinet minister over a matter approved by Parliament he never sits in," he said.
Speaking in Kakamega last Saturday, Raila said he and Uhuru are determined to transform Kenya. He said earlier attempts to transform the country had failed despite having a new Constitution.
Raila is currently leading countrywide rallies to popularise the BBI. The ongoing public regional meetings, spearheaded by Raila have divided leaders down the middle.
MP allied to Deputy President William Ruto have accused ODM of using taxpayers' money to position itself for the 2022 succession race.
Uhuru launched the BBI report at the Bomas of Kenya on November 27 and asked Kenyans to read and understand its contents before making informed decisions.
The President on January 10 gazetted extension of the BBI task force to guide its validation process and implementation.