This archive report was first published on 23 October 2019.
On October 23, 2019, the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) task force formally concluded its assignment, marking the end of a 17-month journey that began with a historic handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his then-political nemesis Raila Odinga on March 9, 2018.
The task force, chaired by Garissa Senator Yusuf Haji, met on Tuesday to finalize its report and will hold its last sitting on Wednesday to adopt a raft of recommendations aimed at resolving nine key issues, including ethnic antagonism, lack of national ethos, inclusivity, devolution, divisive elections, security, corruption, shared prosperity, and responsibility.
Joint secretary Paul Mwangi confirmed that the task force will submit its recommendations to Kenyatta and Odinga in the form of a report, hinting at proposals that would be a 'drastic departure' from the current state of affairs.
The proposed recommendations include expanding the executive by creating a prime minister's slot with two deputies, increasing the devolved share of resources to 40% of the national budget, tightening the noose on corrupt public officers, and picking cabinet ministers from parliament.
Recommendations to alter the system of government, devolution, and bill of rights will necessitate amendments to the constitution through a referendum.
Kenyatta and Odinga have urged Kenyans to support BBI findings, and the task force will await the President's return from his trip to Japan and Russia to hand in its report.
