Wetang’ula: Building Bridges team taking too long to conclude work

Ford Kenya Party Leader Mosses Wetang’ula with other party officials at a past function. [Standard]

Ford Kenya Leader and Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula has raised concerns over the delay by the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) in concluding its work.

Wetang’ula said Kenyans were eager to know the outcome of the initiative launched in March last year after the historic handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM Leader Raila Odinga.

Yesterday, Mr Wetang’ula said the 14 member BBI should have by now come up with a blueprint on the direction the country should take.

Speaking in Siaya County during the funeral of Nyando Ford Kenya party branch chairman Mzee Elijah Oduor, Wetang’ula said Kenyans have hopes that the BBI activities would culminate into a referendum but unfortunately there was no funding for the same in the Kenyan budget for 2019/20.

"The continued harmonisation and bringing the country together is founded in the BBI, but now it has taken too long," said the Bungoma Senator.

He added: “It is shocking that there was even no budget provisions for a referendum in the recent budget,"

 Wetang’ula said that the country must prepare to hold a referendum latest in the year 2020.

"This will enable us to entrench exclusivity as part of the political operations in this country. Further, we will work on resource allocations so that more resources go to counties," he said.

The Senator proposed that should the country go into a referendum they should be asked only two questions.

"We should ask whether we want the country to be led through a presidential system or parliamentary system. My party already took a position on this. That we go the parliamentary system which is more responsive, accountable and more inclusive," said Wetang’ula.

He urged Kenyans to support the parliamentary system in the event the country goes on a referendum to avoid the issues that leave the winner taking it all.

The Ford Kenya leader claimed that should the country go the presidential system then it will continue having difficulties at every election.

"We want a country where after elections the winner does not feel arrogant and the loser does not feel vulnerable. In other jurisdictions, the person who comes second remains relevant politically by being in Parliament or Senate to continue turning the wheel of politics and change in Kenya," he added.