This archive report was first published on 29 November 2019.
On November 29, 2019, the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report was launched, proposing several bold changes to transform the country.
One of the key proposals is tax exemptions for startup businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, for a period of up to seven years.
This move comes as the youth continue to agitate for the implementation of elements within the BBI that aim to address decades of inequality, unemployment, and segregation of the youth on opportunities.
"You see everyone grows up looking up to someone to form their own identity… so what we want to see is when the report is unbundled it addresses these issues affecting the youth…," said Emmanuel Ng'etuny, National Convener of BBI volunteers.
The taskforce also recommends introducing a National Heritage Day, either on December 26 to replace Boxing Day or January 1 to be marked annually.
Ambassador Martin Kimani, lead architect of the report, emphasized that building a national ethos is not a top-down arrangement, but rather something that Kenyans will build on their own, adding that every culture is Kenyan.
The Taskforce also recommends rewriting Kenya's history by firming up National ethos and entrenching ethics in Kenya's curriculum, as well as strengthening the Leadership and Integrity Act.
"You may seek out a neighbor or a friend from another neighbor…during culture day eat together…because by knowing each other more the taskforce believes that Kenyans will find out that kumbe our values and the way we think of the world is not very different," said Amb. Kimani.
