• The ongoing BBI rallies send clear pointers of the direction President Uhuru Kenyatta wants the country to take.
• But one has also to take cognizance of Kenya’s political and economic history to understand the imports of the moves.
The Building Bridges Initiative report was bound to cause some ruckus more so within the political class.
It is also engulfed in 2022 presidential succession battles of subtle nature and others quite well-known widely in the public. The gazettement of a 14-member BBI steering committee to oversee the implementation of the report to a United Kenya Taskforce was a clear indication of the seriousness taken on the matter.
Indeed the ongoing BBI rallies send clear pointers of the direction President Uhuru Kenyatta wants the country to take.
But one has also to take cognizance of Kenya’s political and economic history to understand the imports of the moves. Though opposed even if on subtle and not so subtle by political players supportive of Deputy President William Ruto, there are signs of push and pull on the future of the nation in terms of politics.
Kenya has had a difficult history politically and its adverse impacts on the economy and social cohesion and there is no doubt about that.
Politics of exclusion since the colonial era has had huge negative impacts on the Kenyan society. Unless fundamental changes happen, this is bound to continue. Will BBI address this? Not sure but hopefully.
If the reasoning of BBI is as stated, then it can help address the problems that have besieged Kenya for so long. The challenge, like many other good initiatives before, remains in the implementation of the proposed action points.
We had the Ndungu’ report, probably the once in a while mentioned Kroll report and the 2010 Constitution which is yet to be fully implemented, among many other documents.
The future is uncertain for Kenya as there are many unaddressed issues that create an atmosphere of huge political divisions and politics that promote hate.
Yet as we pursue matters around BBI, current politics and 2022 succession will obviously cloud everything around the whole process. The pro-President Kenyatta and Raila Odinga groups are up against those that are pro-Deputy President William Ruto.
The 2022 and post-2022 political and economic considerations are seriously coming into play and will have huge impacts on the BBI. The BBI initiative itself cannot be divorced from current and future politics going by the realities of today politics.
The Presidential succession and potential changes in top leadership formations are being fought around the BBI and so is positioning for post-2022 politics and economic fortunes.
if BBI can sort our future so be it. If not, it will be another unfortunate circumstance in our history.
Harrison Mwirigi Ikunda
The writer is a political, economic and social analyst and commentator