Give more money to counties, punish the corrupt, obey gender law-BBI presentations

Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) task force chairman Yusuf Haji (centre) flanked by his vice Prof. Adams Oloo (2nd left) receives a report from Embrace Women Leaders at KICC on July 8, 2019 in Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina/Standard]

Senators, women and youth leaders rushed to table their proposals before the Building Bridges Initiative team, which closes its public hearings today.

During yesterday’s submissions, senators, women and youth leaders called for constitutional changes to allocate more money to counties, reduce constituencies and punish corruption more severely.

Women leaders under the ‘Embrace Kenya Team’ proposed that women be given 50 per cent share in all executive positions, including a mandatory requirement that both genders be represented in joint tickets for the presidency and governor.

Tabling proposals before the Building Bridges Initiative task force that ends its public sittings today, the women lobbied for an expanded executive that includes a prime minister and two deputy prime ministers.

Senators Moses Wetang’ula (Bungoma), Isaac Mwaura (Nominated), Fatuma Dullo (Isiolo) and Ochillo Ayacko (Homa Bay) proposed a minimum of 40 per cent of the national budget be set aside for counties.

Less funds

“Counties are suffering because of less funds. We want this increased to a minimum of 40 per cent of the current national budget, not last audited accounts,” said Wetang’ula.

Dullo proposed that Senate becomes the Upper House.

“Let us define the roles of National Assembly and Senate. Let MPs’ roles be limited to constituencies and Senators deal with issues of counties,” she said.

Senate also wants the two Houses to agree on all Bills before the President assents to them and have separate service commissions to avoid conflict.

“Senate now has no role in declaration of State of emergency and deployment of defence forces. This is an oversight and as leaders who advocate for the well-being of governors, we want to play a key role in this matter,” submitted Senator Mwaura.

Senator Ayacko called for safeguarding of the independence of county assemblies and giving them more funds to strengthen their oversight role. He said governors were shortchanging county assemblies in budgetary allocations.

He blamed the National Assembly for the current stalemate on division of revenue bill.

“MPs are voting to deny counties money yet they recently awarded themselves Sh20 million per constituency through the National Government Constituencies Development Fund. We want concurrent jurisdiction between Senate and National Assembly,” submitted Ayacko.

More accountability

The women leaders called for more accountability in procurement of public services and speedier prosecution of graft cases.

“Any contractor that has been given a public project should not be given another project until they have finalised the previous one. In government-to-government contracts, we should have online tendering and awarding to seal (corruption) loopholes,” said Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru.

The leaders recommended that corruption-related offences should not be bailable, and should be concluded in six months and offenders barred from holding any office for at least ten years.

They also want stolen cash and assets recovered and returned to the State.

The women leaders also supported Constitution changes to have women and men share executive posts equally in an expanded executive with a head of state, deputy president, prime minister and two deputy prime ministers.