Busia MCAs endorse BBI Bill
A section of Busia ward representatives during a past event.
Busia County Assembly on Tuesday became the latest county to pass the Building Bridges Initiative (Constitutional Amendment) Bill, 2020.
The ward reps unanimously voted in favour of the Bill, making Busia the fourth county to pass the Building Bridges Initiative Bill after Siaya, Homa Bay and Kisumu counties.
But MCAs from Jubilee in Baringo County shot down he Bill last week in a sitting marred by chaos.
A group MCAs in support of the BBI have filed an application seeking to block the decision by the county assembly to reject the bill.
The Speaker, Bernard Wamalwa, is now tasked to send the Bill to the Speakers of the National Assembly after it was endorsed by the ward representatives.
The Bill had been subjected to a public participation process that ran from February 9 to February 12 across the seven constituencies of Nambale, Matayos, Budalang’i, Butula, Funyula, Teso South and Teso North to collect the views of the locals.
Busia County Assembly committee on Legal and Human Rights chairman David Kokonya tabled the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020 before the house.
In Kisii and Nyamira and Kakamega County, the bill is for public hearings across from today.
The Bill has been received and tabled at the Kisii and Nyamira County Assemblies.
Kisii Acting Speaker Amos Onderi said the Bill was tabled in the house on Thursday last week.
"From Wednesday, there will be public hearings across the nine sub counties of Kisii County," said Mr Onderi.
Onderi who is also Bokimonge Ward MCA added, “We know that matters legislation need to be taken to the public for purposes of public participation. We expect that Kisii residents will interact with the Bill within. The coming seven days. By this, they will input whatever report with be brought in the Assembly."
Nyamira Speaker Moffat Teya said the Bill is being subjected to public participation in all the four constituencies.
“The Bill has already been tabled in the house and we are currently going round the county collecting resident’s views,” said Mr Teya.
Kakamega County Assembly Leader of Majority Mr Joel Ongoro said he wa confident that the bill would be passed.
“We are having a sitting on Tuesday nex week and the mood among the majority of the MCAs is quite positive. I’m confident, the bill will sail through without any hitch,” said Mr Ongoro
In Busia, only one out of the 53 members opposed the Bill during the voting session that was presided over the assembly speaker.
“As a county assembly, we have played our part. It is now upon the public to accept or reject the Bill,” said the Speaker, Mr Wamalwa.
Nominated MCA Bernard Odako opposed the report claiming the public was given a short time and passed it at the public participation forums without understanding its contents.
“We need more time to go through the document before making informed decisions. This rush is not good for us,” argued Mr Odako.
Those who voted for the Bill included Leader of Majority Kassaman Ekesa, Cynthia Mutere, John Obwogo, Moses Ochieng’, Novena Ndaliro, Job Oteba, Fredrick Musirimba, Felix Omanyi and Bernard Papa.
They claimed the Bill will bring more resources to lower levels of governance through increased national revenue from 15 percent to 35 percent plus the introduction of the Ward Development Fund.
Mr Ekesa said the youth internship programme will boost empowerment to the young generations.
“Inclusion of the clause allowing only people who have participated and performed well in elections will strengthen competition in the election process,” said Mr Ekesa.
Women MCAs said the Bill will solve the issue of gender parity by pushing political parties to ensure that gender threshold is achieved.
Report by Benson Amadala, Shaban Makokha and Ruth Mbula
