Rallies in Kisii and Kakamega this month seem to be bringing more confusion than clarity to the Building Bridges Initiative (see P4/5).
There has been little discussion of BBI proposals at the rallies, as opposed to the successful consultative meetings by the BBI team that preceded them. Instead, politicians at the rallies have repeatedly attacked DP William Ruto for opposing BBI and praised Raila Odinga for supporting it.
Yet virtually no politician has opposed the BBI report. BBI is just being turned into a political football.
There are genuine issues to be discussed, especially whether there should be an executive Prime Minister and a ceremonial president. Across the political divide, many support that idea. It should not become a Jubilee or ODM idea. That idea, and everything in the BBI report, should be discussed objectively on their merits.
The government has still not distributed the report. The Government Printer should urgently make copies available to citizens so they can make up their own minds on an informed basis.
The BBI team, not politicians, should lead any BBI rally at the local level. Let's keep BBI separate from party politics.
Quote of the day: "It's impossible to change things without encountering resistance."
Evo Morales
He became the first indigenous President of Bolivia on January 22, 2006.