Why Kenyans Should Read And Internalise The BBI

At last, the much-talked-about, the much-hyped, and the much-awaited Building Bridges Initiative aka BBI is out for Kenyans to “read.”

The report that proposes various changes in the Constitution of Kenya that came to life in 2010, according to the politicians, is what Kenya and Kenyans need for a new Kenya.

The BBI report has not been out for 24 hours but the reactions from a faction of Kenyans and politicians show that it is going to be a stormy ride.

As the things are, in this BBI, the minority (who are actually the majority against it) may end up having their say but the majority (who are actually the minority supporting it with power) may end up having their way.

Politicians such as Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta, who are the brainchildren of this “humongous” document, know that Kenyans have “no time” and have a habit of “not reading documents.”

It is, therefore, obvious that the majority of Kenyans who will be screaming their lungs out for or against the BBI will have no picture of what it contains.

If the BBI thing goes to the referendum, some will vote for and others against, not because they have read but because certain politicians whose academic credentials are in doubt “read it for them.”

For once, it is important that Kenyans (those who have time) read and Internalise this BBI thing. The thing proposed a myriad of changes in the leadership of this country that if we shall let the politicians have a field day, we shall end up poor for the rest of our lives due to heavy taxes.

And because these people know that Kenyans don’t read, they will start picking a few sections from the document, which they feel works for them or against their opponents and start twisting the narrative.

The season of words is here. Big and small words. Tall and short words. Fat and thin words. Wide and narrow words. The season is here and the only difference it will make is if Kenyans will read this document.

BBI is not the solution to the problems we are facing. If you asked me, we are better off under the Chinese as colonizers than under BBI. This is not the document we spent 10,000,000,000 shillings of our taxes to produce.

As I said, when the BBI copies finally come out, try, and read. Let us not let our ignorance and the memory of a warthog that we are known to have to lead us further into darker days than it already is.

READ: Has Devolution Provided Any Leadership Direction Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic?