Nairobi County Assembly approves BBI Bill

Nairobi County Assembly has today joined four more county assemblies in passing the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020.

This brings to 11 the number of counties that have already passed the bill with only Baringo County standing out for having voted down the initiative.

The 11 counties are Siaya, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Busia, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Kajiado, Kisii, Nairobi, Laikipia and Vihiga.

At the Nairobi County Assembly, the MCAs unanimously passed the bill with 114 ward representatives voting for the initiative with no member opposing despite fears of division at the county assembly.

Justice and Legal Affairs committee chairperson Joseph Komu moved the motion on the consideration of the report on the Bill, popularly known as the Building Bridges Initiative Bill on Thursday afternoon.

"In light of the submissions from the public participation exercises contained herein and pursuant to the provisions of Article 257(6) of the Constitution, the sectorial committee on Justice and Legal Affairs hereby recommends to the Nairobi City County Assembly to approve the BBI Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2020," said Mr Komu.

Unanimous passage

The motion was then seconded by Imara Daima MCA Kennedy Obuya.

Speaking to the media after the passage of the bill, Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja lauded Nairobi MCAs for unanimously voting to pass the bill, saying Nairobi is the number one gainer from BBI and it would have been foolhardy for any leader to oppose the bill.

“There is no one who knows the beauty of unity and the pain of disunity as Nairobi resident. Moving from here, we want to assure the people to speak in one language to drum up support for BBI,” he said.

Makadara MP George Aladwa said the unanimous passage of the bill by the city MCAs showed that the county is united and there is no division as many would have thought.

Nominated MP Maina Kamanda said the county, which is always the epicenter of violence every election year, is now enjoying peace because of the Handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM party leader Raila Odinga which also gave birth to BBI.

“County 47 has clearly spoken for voting 114 with no opposing MCA. And when it comes to voting during the referendum, we will vote BBI almost to the last man,” he said.

Supporting the bill

Nairobi Assembly Speaker Benson Mutura said Nairobi had set an example to other counties to emulate in expediting the passage of the bill. 

Majority Leader Abdi Guyo hailed President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga for birthing BBI saying the bill will cure the lack of inclusivity and winner-take it-all tendency which have always been blamed for perennial cycles of violence in the country every election year.

“BBI will also ensure there is more goodies and services to the grassroots and I urge those seeking to block the BBI process to join the rest of Kenyans in supporting the bill,” said Mr Guyo. 

“The bill can only be bad for leaders who are evil at hear as issues touching on youth, women and the elderly have been taken care of by the bill,” said Minority Leader Michael Ogada.

In attendance in the House during the debate was Senator Sakaja, Chief Administrative Secretary Rachel Shebesh, Makadara MP Aladwa, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, Roysambu lawmaker Waihenya Ndirangu and nominated MP Kamanda.