City ward reps implores House to support BBI

The Nairobi County Assembly leadership allied to Jubilee Party is now calling on city MCAs to endorse and rally their support behind the newly released Building Bridges Initiate (BBI) report.

The report which was launched today seeks to introduce constitutional amendments aimed at uniting Kenyans.

Deputy Majority whip Waithera Chege has appealed to all the 122 Nairobi ward legislators to support the BBI report saying that it will usher in unity transformation through accelerated development in the country.

Waithera noted that the implementation of the report was the only way to ensure an increase in allocation of funds to counties from a current 15 per cent to the proposed 35 per cent.

“This will not only ensure that the focus is on service delivery but also see to it that devolution is entrenched to people living near the furthest boundaries of each county. This is what we have been pushing for and I am urging my fellow MCAs to throw their weight behind the BBI report because it seeks to change the lives of Kenyans,” said Waithera.

The first time MCA noted that the introduction of the Ward Development Fund (WDF) would also see each of the 85 elected MCAs control upwards of Sh20 million each.

The BBI report has proposed that at least five per cent of the county government’s revenue — both allocated by the national government and collected by the county — be channelled to the proposed Ward Development Fund.

In Nairobi, which has the largest budget, the 85 elected MCAs would be the major beneficiaries as they would be in charge of the largest amount.

In the current financial year, the county government has a budget of Sh37.5 billion. This implies that at least Sh1.88 billion would go to the fund, with each of the wards getting Sh21.1 million.

“Nairobi having had the highest revenue collection since the advent of devolution then it means it has an added advantage. More funding means that we will be able to complete the stalled projects and roll out new ones,” stated Waithera.

Youth empowerment

Waithera who doubles up as South B MCA also brought to the fore that the report was abound with goodies for the youth who make up a majority of Nairobi’s constituents thus it was in the MCAs best interest to support the report.

The BBI has proposed a seven-year tax break for youth owned businesses. Besides that, the BBI team also wants the establishment of business incubation centres to provide business advisory services, which includes access to capital and government contracts.

Assembly majority leader Abdi Hassan alias Guyo urged the MCAs to read understand and popularise the document.

He opined that implementation of the BBI report would ensure that come 2022 the country would experience a new dawn in politics which would translate to the formation of an all-inclusive government.

“As Jubilee we wholly support the BBI report. I am now urging my fellow MCAs to popularize the document and ensure that Nairobi people vote overwhelmingly for the document,” he said.

The Assembly is currently on a two-week recess and is expected to resume plenary sittings as from November 3, 2020.