This archive report was first published on 28 November 2019.
BBI Report Sparks Debate on Nairobi's Governance ¶
The Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report, released on November 26, 2019, has sparked debate on the governance of Nairobi, Kenya's capital city.
According to the report, the position of governor and senator in Nairobi may be scrapped, with the city potentially being governed directly by the national government.
The report, presented to President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga, suggests that Nairobi be granted a special status as the country's capital city and a major diplomatic hub.
This would mean that the city would be governed directly by the national government, rather than having a governor or senator.
The BBI report has been met with mixed reactions, with some welcoming the proposed changes and others expressing concerns about the potential impact on the city's governance.
Nairobi, which has 85 wards represented by councilors and 17 constituencies represented by members of parliament, has been governed by Governor Mike Sonko since August 2017.
The report's proposals have sparked debate on the future of Nairobi's governance, with some arguing that the city needs more autonomy and others believing that direct national government control would be more effective.
As the debate continues, one thing is clear: the BBI report has opened up a new chapter in the discussion on Nairobi's governance.
