The Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) reggae has been paused. But the rhythm must continue. We need to continue interrogating issues from the proposing and opposing sides.
One point the proponents of the BBI have been talking about is the proposal that a minimum of 35 percent of the national revenue, as opposed to the current 15 per cent, will be allocated to the counties.
However, the anti-BBI team has been out to discredit the document. They argue that if the national government has not been able to send the 15 percent revenue to the devolved units, it will not give the proposed 35 per cent. But that is not the truth. Those opposing the BBI do not want counties to benefit from an increased revenue allocation.
There is a possibility to allocate 35 per cent.
So far, those arguing that the government will not actualise the 35 percent revenue to counties have been in government. At one point or another, they conveniently said that the Jubilee government had been giving counties more than the constitutionally prescribed 15 percent revenue allocation. However, until the BBI debate came, the math changed.
Ironically, Deputy President William Ruto and his allies are now expressing doubt that the funds may not be released to the counties since the national government is already finding it hard to provide the current 15 per cent revenue allocation to counties.
But Dr Ruto says when he becomes president, he will make resources available to uplift the poor.
The DP says instead of changing the Constitution to “create positions for leaders”, the focus should be on empowering wananchi. There is no better way of empowering wananchi than giving them money and making sure the giving is governed by law.
But it is not difficult to tell why the “Hustlers” and their leader do not want devolution of resources constitutionalised. They are already campaigning for the presidency ahead of 2022 polls.
Dr Ruto and his army believe in tokenism as a means of buying and controlling supporters.
And as Likoni MP Mishi Mboko put it over the weekend, Dr Ruto is against the BBI because he knows that if it passes, it will ensure equitable distribution of resources.
Our people need to get factories closer to them so that they can better their lives.
