- The governors are expected to ratchet up campaigns to lobby support for the BBI proposals.
- Governors will be picking their deputies from the opposite gender under the BBI proposals.
Image: CALISTUS LUCHETU
Governors plan to unveil a team to drum up support for the Building Bridges Initiative report.
The county chiefs, who have been excited with the proposals in the report to allocate more funds to the devolved units, will play a leading role in popularising the report.
They will partner with members of the county assemblies, big winners in the BBI proposals as well, to market the document.
The Star has established that governors will form a team that will come up with strategies on how they can effectively campaign for BBI ahead of the anticipated referendum.
On Friday, the governors are expected to hold a meeting that could culminate in unveiling a team that will be their focal point on the BBI activities.
Council of Governors chairman Wycliffe Oparanya on Wednesday confirmed that governors will play a key role in promoting the BBI proposals at the grassroots.
"We are looking at a coordinated approach to ensure that as many Kenyans as possible embrace the BBI proposals because they seek to entrench devolution," Oparanya said.
The Kakamega governor said the team will work closely with the national government and other BBI proponents to ensure a seamless and smooth campaign process.
"Our determination is to make sure that our people at the grassroots get sufficient copies and that they are well sensitised on the contents of the report," he said.
The governors will also team up to lead the one million signature collection process to support the Constitution amendment bill before it is taken to the electoral commission for validation.
The BBI report is laced with sweeteners for devolution in what is seen as a strategy to ensure it sails through.
The report proposes that the county governments' share of the national revenue be enhanced from at least 15 per cent to 35 per cent.
The proposal has been interpreted as a major win for devolution that has been battling for an increase in revenue allocations.
The BBI report has proposed that governors will pick their deputies from the opposite gender in a bid to bridge the gender gap.
Deputy governors will have designated county executive committee portfolios to cure the power games that have rocked devolved units.
Most governors do not allocate any responsibilities to their deputies, turning the principal assistants into 'flower girls.'
The BBI report seeks to establish a ward development fund fashioned around the Constituency Development Fund model to be run by MCAs in a major win for the ward representatives.
The move is seen as responding to concerns that oversight roles in the devolved units have been compromised by broke MCAs who depend on handouts from governors for survival.
The fund will have at least five per cent of the money allocated to a county government.
Already, allies of President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM chief Raila Odinga have drawn line-ups to lead the BBI campaigns.