The historic handshake between the two political nemeses President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga on March 9 was billed as the last bullet to slay the dragon of perennial ethnic animosities that often accompany presidential elections.
Prior to this, elections in August 2017 were not an easy ride as it was marred by violence, rigging and rejection of the presidential results.
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The Building Bridges Initiative was born on March 9, 2018, and as such, today will be a day to remember how the handshake salvaged Kenya.
The historic handshake between the two political nemeses - President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga - on March 9, 2018, was billed as the last bullet to slay the dragon of perennial ethnic animosities that often accompany presidential elections.
Prior to this, elections in August 2017 were not an easy ride as it was marred by violence, rigging and rejection of the presidential results.
The violence saw protesters clashing with police but some Kenyans feared it was starting to take on ethnic overtones. Over 66 people died in the overall election violence.
The Supreme Court nullified the August 8 vote saying that there were illegalities and irregularities in the election.
At the repeat elections to be carried out on October 26, Raila withdrew saying the IEBC had failed to institute reforms to forestall the kind of “illegalities and irregularities” that scuppered Uhuru’s victory in the August election.
But three years on, the handshake has caused wide divisions on the political scene with its brainchild - the Building Bridges Initiative - dividing leaders almost in the middle.
While the handshake ended street demonstrations by Opposition supporters, the BBI has put the country on a campaign mode with popularisation rallies across regions.
BBI PROPOSALS
The Building Bridges Initiative made radical proposals to alter the structure of the executive and create several new offices, including that of a non-executive prime minister.
With over 24 county assemblies passing the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020, Kenyans will now have to go for a referendum before the 2022 polls, the BBI task force wants a premier to be picked by the President from MPs in the majority party in the National Assembly.
The 14-man team also wants the reintroduction of the office of the Official Opposition and a mixed Cabinet drawn from both parliamentarians and technocrats.
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