Why BBI proposals fail the test and must be rejected

The proposed BBI constitutional Amendment Bill heralds the return of the imperial presidency that Kenyans rejected through the most consultative process, culminating in the 2010 Constitution. The BBI proposes that the president hires and fires the prime minister and two deputies at will. The prime minister will be from the majority party or a coalition of parties in the National Assembly, while the deputies will be from among members of the Cabinet. This proposal not only expands Cabinet, but also removes the requirement of vetting of Cabinet Secretaries by Parliament.

Title of Cabinet Secretary reverts back to what it previously was – Cabinet minister. Similarly, the titles of leader of majority changes to leader of government business, while that of leader of minority changes to leader of opposition. There is absolutely no value in these meaningless title changes. Efficiency in delivery of service is more about the matching of qualifications to the tasks than about semantics.