This archive report was first published on 30 August 2019.
Sharp differences rock BBI team over key proposals ¶
Published on August 30, 2019
Sharp differences have emerged within the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) team over key proposals, including a single seven-year presidential term limit and the powers of Members of Parliament (MPs) to elect the president who will then appoint the prime minister.
According to sources, the team is sharply divided over the recommendations, with some members backing the Orange Democratic Movement's (ODM) proposal for a seven-year presidential term limit while others are pushing for universal suffrage, where voters elect the president.
Senator Haji's camp, which includes Garissa senator Yusuf Haji, Adams Oloo, Busia senator Amos Wako, Agnes Kavindu, Saeed Mwanguni, Florence Omose, Morompi Ole Ronk, Peter Njenga, John Seii, James Matundura, Lawi Imathiu, Samburu woman representative Maison Leshomo, Rose Museo, Zacchaeus Okoth, and joint secretaries Paul Mwangi and Martin Kimani, is of the view that the voters will reject the proposal if the team takes away their right to elect the head of state.
They are also arguing that giving MPs the powers to elect the president will not go down well with the voters, who have already labelled the legislators as 'MPigs', and hence, they will reject the BBI recommendations during the referendum.
The proposal for a single seven-year presidential term limit was first made by Tiaty MP Kassait Kamket through a Bill seeking to amend the constitution to create sweeping changes in the executive.
ODM, which backed the seven-year non-renewable presidential term and an executive prime minister in their submissions to the BBI, wants the Directorate of Criminal Investigations delinked from the command of the National Police Service and made a constitutional agency.
It also wants the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission abolished and the size of the bicameral parliament drastically slashed from 416 to 208 lawmakers.
