There’s no crisis, BBI referendum push bound to fail

The Kenyan political scene has been an interesting one since President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga shook hands on March 9, 2018. In the event, famously known as ‘handshake’, the two leaders made a declaration to cease all hostilities between them and find common grounds in the interest of the country. A document signed by both leaders titled ‘Building Bridges to a new Kenyan Nation’ was launched in the same month, highlighting nine issues to be addressed with the aim of creating a united nation.

A programme commonly known as Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) was established to assist in the implementation of the shared objectives. BBI, made up of 14 members and two co-chairpersons, was officially gazetted on May 31, 2018, with a term of one year. The team commenced their task from the first week of June 2018, and in May 2019, had their term extended by five months.