The advisory panel established to implement the 2018 'handshake' agreement between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga is preparing to request an extension of its mandate.
Formed shortly after the March 9, 2018, pact, the Building Bridges to Unity Advisory Task Force has completed visits to 21 of Kenya's 47 counties, with 26 remaining. The group's joint secretaries, lawyer Paul Mwangi and Martin Kimani, acknowledged the timeline would require additional time to finalize assessments and recommendations.
"Our county visits will extend into mid-June, exceeding the one-year term by a month," Mwangi stated in an interview with Sunday Nation. "We anticipate needing two to three months to complete the work." The task force's original mandate, gazetted on May 24, 2018, included evaluating national challenges outlined in the joint communiqué, drafting reform proposals, and conducting consultations with stakeholders.
The panel's 14 members, comprising politicians, religious leaders, and academics, faced accusations of pre-determined outcomes and secret constitutional amendments. Mwangi denied these claims, emphasizing the group's commitment to inclusive dialogue. The 2017 elections' divisive legacy and Kenya's history since 1963 were cited as motivations for the initiative, with the leaders pledging to prevent future divisions.
