The Building Bridges Initiative report which was handed to President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday, November 26, had various recommendations that could be termed as the key points of discussion.
After combing through the detailed document, nine recommendations made by the task force stood out as potential game-changers, if the report is eventually passed.
The return of the prime ministers' post was the subject of speculation prior to the release of Uhuru and Raila's pet project. The reports proved accurate, with the report proposing the creation of the post of a PM (appointed by the president and approved by Parliament), who would have authority over the control, supervision, and execution of the day-to-day functions and affairs of the government.
Awarding a General Election runners-up with the post of an ex-officio MP and the leader of the official opposition was also included in the report, with the aim of promoting inclusivity.
In regards to promoting national and cultural heritage, the replacement of Boxing Day on December 26, with a National Culture Day for celebrating Kenyan cultures was endorsed, with January 1, also picked as a potential date for the new holiday.
Still in a bid to promote national heritage, the BBI report has called for the establishment of a compulsory curriculum whereby learners are driven towards a sense of national ethos rooted in ethics, morals, and integrity from an early age, with the relevant ministry ensuring that no one would able to graduate without having completed these courses.
In addition, it was proposed that all Kenyans voluntarily give six months of their lives to national service between the ages of 18 and 26 as a means of developing personal responsibility through service to others.
The contentious issue of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) was also tackled, with the task force proposing that all IEBC staff should be employed on a three-year contract, renewable only once if their performance is good. The report further added that the head of the commission need not be a lawyer.
In a move that would be happily embraced by the majority of small business owners, the BBI report suggested a review of tax policies, proposing that such establishments be granted a tax holiday of at least seven years, as support to youth entrepreneurship and job creation.
There were also countless recommendations on how to tackle corruption, and special incentives were proposed for whistleblowers, whereby, any individuals whose actions led to the successful seizure of stolen assets as well as prosecution, would be offered a 5 per cent share of the recovered proceeds.
President Uhuru is set to officially release the BBI report at the Bomas of Kenya on Wednesday, November 27.
