Political analyst Herman Manyora has claimed that the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) public participation was a waste of time.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Manyora alleged that the BBI taskforce has been working backwards from an answer that they already had.
“The answer is to create a structure of government that has an expanded Executive. I want to assume that this thing will only make sense if Uhuru plays a prominent role, as will Raila,” he asserted.
Manyora further argued that the people who sat on the committees were the same suspects that appeared around the country making the same presentations and not the local people as it was intended.
“More seriously, members of this these committees or taskforce rarely engaged the participants and therefore whatever report they come up with, cannot be the real reflection of what the people said,” he added.
On the tag war between Ekuru Aukot's Punguza Mizigo Bill and the BBI, the UoN lecturer stated that it was quite obvious that Aukot’s bill was quite popular with the masses, but warned that it wouldn't go anywhere.
He, however, advised those shooting down the Punguza Mizigo Bill that if they overdo it, Kenyans might see it as an attempt to tell the people that their voices don't matter.
“When you overdo it, you could attract and invite the citizens' wrath. Therefore I would advise the BBI and the handshake, instead of still birthing the Punguza Mizigo, borrow the good elements from it and marry them with your initiative.
“This way all of us will be the winners and we will have a constitutional referendum that addresses all those things that are not only dear to Kenyans, but things that can push this country forward," he pointed out.
The BBI was formed after the March 9, 2018, peace agreement between President Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga following sporadic violence witnessed following the 2017 presidential election.
The task force concluded public hearings on Friday and is set to retreat to write a report which will be presented to President Uhuru and Raila before the end of September.
