This archive report was first published on 27 October 2019.
President Uhuru Kenyatta's cautious approach to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) has sparked jitters among political players, with some questioning whether he is uncomfortable with a presidential system of government.
On October 24, 2019, a group of 39 legislators from the Mount Kenya region threatened to reject BBI proposals if they do not address the interests of the people from the region.
They vowed to oppose attempts to have the country's chief executive elected by Parliament as currently constituted.
However, some politicians believe that the Mount Kenya MPs are not genuinely opposed to the BBI, but rather looking for a way to engage and be part of the process.
According to one politician, the MPs have smartly picked a safe issue to look like they are fighting the BBI process, while knowing it's not going to be a fight.
ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna attributed the apparent confusion to 'the same old tricks' by politicians seeking to get more seats in Parliament ahead of 2022.
He emphasized that the anticipated BBI product is not a constitutional amendment bill, but rather a raft of proposals on how to make Kenya a friendlier and peaceful state.
