INTRODUCTION
In March 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta and chief opposition leader Raila Odinga inaugurated the Building Bridges Initiative and in June 2019, a day which was remembered for its pomp and color, the political class integrating together and rivalries clearly marked out within the political class. The Initiative, which was then developed since 2018 after the handshake of the President and Opposition leader in what was a long period of high stakes and tensions after the controversial elections, the two finally agreed to work together for the sake of peace and coherence in the country, a move which was highly unexpected in the republic. Fast forward to 2020 and on the 26th of October, the duo together with the deputy president William Ruto launched the report curated by the taskforce appointed by the President. The taskforce was sent out to all the corners of the country to collect various views of the Kenyans and in turn compiled it to form the 9 key pillars that were believed to take the country to the next level and solve the historical issues that were there. The report is expected to go through a constitutional amendment which means it will have to trigger a referendum, however leaders supporting the Report further claim that the amendments should not be opposed by the nation and if further possible, even skip a referendum.
PILLARS OF THE NEW REPORT
In the first segment of breaking down the BBI report, we shall be looking at the key pillars of the report that has been used as a foundation to call for reforms in nearly all sectors of the country, from the political, economic and socio cultural systems of the Republic and shall further look at why this report matters to you.
Lack of National Ethos
The report seeks to change the mindset of the Kenyan people in all sectors of life. Having understood that there has been a long term controversy in the country, known to be corrupt and have violence especially during the electioneering period, the report looks to bring all the Kenyan citizens on one path of a sense of pride and patriotism of the nation. It seeks to have a conversation with all Kenyans on various issues of ethnic identity, racial complexity and the promotion of the African pride and to further teach Kenyans on the history of the nation and to identify with it. It also looks to promote ethics, morals and principality in the Kenyan people through the education system, both formal and informal sectors so as to ensure the current and next generation will be able to live up to the strong principles needed in uniting the country.
Responsibilities and Rights
It recognizes that responsibilities of the citizens lie on the individual and that their beliefs and attitudes shape the communities and strengthen their citizenship, it calls for the leaders to responsibly use the public service such as institutions; health centers, school among others. A key development in this sector is that it calls for youth between the years of 18 and 26 years to volunteer their 6 months to national service and upon the completion, will be certified by the National Volunteer Network and this will enable increase their employment chances in a given organization. I believe this is to foster patriotism and build the Kenyan spirit. There is also the need to push for the awareness of ethics and accountability in the workspaces through the development of strategies that include training and implementation of these policies.
Ethnic Antagonism & Competition
The section aims to unite all Kenyan’s regardless of the ethnicity and race they root from. It calls on the school curriculum, cultural centers as well as government institutions to live up to the expectations of promoting cultural diversity and ethnic unity through various curriculum, ethics and policies created, furthermore, it calls for the fair distribution of resources to all communities and regions in the country. There's also a need to learn and integrate with the neighboring countries and the East African Community members as part of the EAC treaty which formed as part of government policy.
Divisive Elections
Owing to Kenya’s track record of election disputes and post election tensions, this section points out to the Electoral Board of Kenya, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission of Kenya where it calls for the reforms which will strengthen the faith of the Kenyan citizens and through the efficient training of all officers to ensure free and fair elections that will reflect the face of the Kenyan People.
Inclusivity
Since pre independence, inclusivity has been a major concern for the Kenyan people. This is as many of the citizens from the minority communities have for a long time been excluded from the matters of national building. It has mainly been reflected in the politics of the nation, from the head of states and the general occupancy of government institutions which has been dominated by the 5 major tribes of the country. Kenyans in the report call for inclusivity in all spheres of influence; from the political, economic, cultural, religious sectors, there's a further call to the reduction of gender biases so as to ensure equality in the representation of the Kenyan people. It aims for cultural inclusion so as to build knowledge on indigenous and minority groups, government appointments that represent all the people and to bolster public participation in the decision making phases. The ⅔ gender rule, which has been a contentious issue that has failed to be implemented. That is why it seeks to implement this rule in all government institutions such as parliamentary service, judicial service as well as the county government.
Shared Prosperity
The section calls for a revolution in the Kenyan economy that brings onboard all Kenyans in the process. Through development of a 50-year plan that is political, the plan should be able to evolve from one government to another over that period of time. It encourages innovation in all sectors of the economy, promotes a labor intensive sector and provides incentives to key economic sectors so as to boost production and revenue. It further calls for the promotion of “Buy Kenya” which urges Kenyans to buy locally manufactured products and to promote Kenyan goods in foreign countries and for the banks to provide legal guidelines that will ease borrowing and prioritize key sectors of the economy such as exports, SMEs, manufacturing, education, manufacturing and agriculture. It also calls for the simplification of the taxation base through methods such as introduction of flat tax rates for those in the income category above the living wage. There's also a large emphasis of entrepreneurship and involvement of the youth from a younger age, through the education system so as to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
Corruption
Kenya and corruption is the strongest marriage to exist in the country since independence. Therefore the report, just like other previous task forces, is aimed at tackling the issues of corruption, and a unique recommendation set out is the “cartel capture”. Which involves catching and following up cartels which are involved in economic crimes such as tax evasion, bribery and embezzlement of funds and also those who collide with government officials in these actions. Through the gathering of intelligence by the institutions of NIS, the government will now track down and hold all cartels responsible for these economic crimes. The report aims to also punish banks with heavy penalties and also withdraw licenses when they are found guilty of colluding with corrupt cartels. There is also emphasis on prevention and deterrence through ethics awareness, education curriculum and performance assessments by government officials and it further proposes creation of a whistleblowing mechanism to ensure all witnesses are adequately protected when reporting these crimes and defaults. Through the digitization of services, this will enhance record keeping practices and security from tampering.
Devolution
The report supports the retention of the 47 counties and its economic development through the formation of regional economic blocs so as to spur economic growth that will in turn sustain the counties. It further calls for the changes to the county executive, to avoid issues of nepotism and disorganized recruitment procedures. Health being a major issue of devolution, it seeks to enhance primary healthcare and through the coordination of institutions such as the NHIF, it will ensure the cutting of costs by the county government and the citizens as a whole. The report also tackles spending issues, by ensuring 30% if county budget is financed within the five year term and to ensure its accountability and to further reduce redundancy in the county jobs being offered and involved in the county activities. County conflicts are aimed to be reduced through the involvement of elders so as to promote culture awareness and integration in areas such as schools so as to foster multi-ethnic unity.
Peace and Security
This final sector seeks to address the issues of equality, where every Kenyan and every region should be given equal distribution of policing resources, prosecution as well as preventive efforts to ensure the protection of all Kenyan lives. It further calls for the creation of the National Security Council which will develop proactive and sustainable security strategies that will enhance the integration of security agencies and the communities. Through the Interior Ministry and IEBC, it calls for the implementation and reviews of county borders so as to maximize utilization and sharing of resources so as to reduce conflict in conflict ridden areas. This will also protect the community from lethal food and medicine grown or resourced. In the terrorism aspect, a major issue that has faced Kenyans, the report recommends a strong coordination of prevention of radicalization. It further calls for innovation in countering violent extremism through adequately funding police force and training of the personnel in the force. It also calls for the attendance of the mental well being of officers through counselling and assessing of their mental health so as to be able to be able to assist them in handling the day to day pressures and tackling of their traumas while in the frontline. It further seeks to eliminate corruption through heavy penalties for being involved in their actions and also institute safe measures for citizens who are reporting corruption. This section also seeks to combat gender based violence by focusing on resourcing specific policing and preventive measures by also evaluating various legislative and administrative political gaps and to provide the appropriate training to those engaged in the prevention of GBV.
Commissions and Cross Cutting Issues
This section calls for reforms in the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and to further strengthen its jurisdiction through allocation of funds and resources to it and to further strengthen its capabilities so as to enhance their work efficiently.
CONCLUSION
Therefore, we can genuinely agree that the recommendations in this report nearly covers all sectors of the Kenyan citizen and that it provides relative solutions to some of the issues discussed. However, I very much emphasize that the citizens of Kenya actively participate in this whole process, especially the youth. Since this is yet the most important document that could directly shape the dynamics of the citizens lives, and that is why I strongly emphasize on all to read this report on a deeper understanding.
To read and understand further what the report has on offer,
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References:
Government of Kenya. (2020). Report of the Steering Committee on the Implementation of the Building Bridges to a United Kenya Taskforce Report. Nairobi: Government of Kenya.
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