The report of the Building Bridges Initiative was finally launched at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi. Just as much was hinged on the report– with even papers predicting the making or unmaking of various leaders, it finally came down to a thoroughly revised document especially on the restructuring of the executive where Kenyans were promised a tsunami overhaul.
The report reads like the wishlist of the nation we want; recommendations that nobody has bothered to relook. But as cautious leaders were quick to observe, we are long on coming up with drafts policies, laws and regulations.
Once they are reduced to actionable tools, we forget about them and start talking about what else we want to add or remove. It’s a vicious circle that never ends, taking a lot of the people’s precious time and other resources, more so finances that this country craves for serious development initiatives.
Despite the past misses, the country needs to reflect on what can work for it and avoid pitfalls that breed division, hate and economic plunder. But the report has so many grey areas that can be great fodder for political machinations.
For example, how we deal with the IEBC will determine whether politicians are intent at creating a truly independent referee and arbiter on matters elections and boundary delimitations. How we get a 70:30 per cent development: recurring expenditure budget in a situation where more than half of it goes to pay salaries will be an interesting debate.
Even the requirement that the President consults a prime minister elected and sacked by him or her is stretching our imagination too far. All the same, the report is good as a working document on implementing the current Constitution.
Economic and political analyst
