Kenya’s Members of Parliament allied to Deputy President William Ruto flocked at his Karen residence for a BBI consensus meeting. The DP met with 146 Members of Parliament, seven Governors, and other leaders during a meeting to deliberate on the BBI report.
Even though the Deputy President insists on a win-win situation on the BBI report, his remarks raised eyebrows.
Confusion
The Deputy President’s speech opened curtains pointing that he had a confusing meeting with the MPs. One of the deputy’s main suggestions is that the BBI referendum voting is dropped. He suggests the money be used for the BBI rallies be directed towards other pressing issues like the COVID-19 pandemic.
The idea behind the funds is noble coming from him. However, the DP goes ahead and suggests a more expensive voting process. He suggested against voting on a general YES/NO process. The DP pointed out that voting should major on critical articles in the BBI. This is to say that the amendments proposed by the BBI should be tabled one by one. If that is to happen, the funds that should enable such a referendum will exceed the YES/NO voting by a huge margin.
“This is possible, we can have a referendum that is well structured with specific issues to be voted on as opposed to having a YES/NO contest on all the issues,” Ruto said.
If the deputy’s main issue with the BBI also lies within the funds to be used for the referendum campaigns, then he is lost in amidst. This one brings the question of desperation that the MPs brought to the deputy. It also brings the question of the DP’s grip on his allies. Why are the MPs pressuring him against the BBI? Why is the DP yielding to the MPs misguided pressure? Are they controlling him while he thinks he is controlling them?
More Costs
As in a family union, the family’s future prosperity solely depends on the expenditure versus income ratios. As such, the country’s President pointed towards a high flying future for Kenya Financially and Economically. However, to achieve this, the country must cut down expenditures and save more while maintaining and/or adding income.
Thus, the BBI report suggests the removal of Women representatives. Even if the BBI proposes additional offices, the removal of the women reps alone will save the country millions of money. This would directly cut down the expenditure as the country saves more for more investments.
However, the DP’s faction proposes bringing back the 47 women representatives so as to have 94 elected women in both houses.
The DP’s team also pointed towards reducing at least 60 Nominated Members of Parliament. However, the DP wants to have more members elected by Kenyans. This reasoning takes you back to one of the main reasons why President Uhuru Kenyatta initiated the formation of the BBI report. The President wanted to cut losses that Kenya experiences before and after the elections. If the DP’s suggestion is adopted, the campaign funds that Kenya would be experiencing for the additional MPs do not solve the question. It adds to it.
Again, to have more MPs elected brings about the formation of additional constituencies. The additional constituencies will bring about additional County Assemblies. This what the DP opposes when the BBI report suggests additional MPs. Again, the DP shows his team is confused. He opposes the addition of MPs and then again suggests the same.
Here, you will firmly note that the BBI suggests additional MPs based on very crucial criteria-s expressed in the report. What criteria does the DP use when he suggests the cutting down of nominated MPs just to add on elected MPs?
More Confusion
In Kenya, it is already known it is the Deputy President who has been dividing the country via the BBI report. However, the DP, in his speech, said that there are politicians looking to divide the country.
“We have seen the ugly side of divided people. There are politicians, even on this issue of BBI, who are looking at how to divide people into camps so that they compete for certain outcomes. No. Let us look for a way to have all of us united. What will it benefit you to divide us to create enemies when we can agree?” he asked.
The DP must have been pointing the question back to his own team. The MPs major worries towards the meeting were questioning the DP if he now supports the “dynasties”. As it seems, the dynasty means anyone supporting the BBI. While the DP used the dynasty narrative figuratively to create an unseen hood of boogie-men, it seems the MPs took his words literarily. The DP’s own creation (the dynasty) is now eating him.
He has tied his own hands. The DP wishes to support the BBI as it brings about a better future for the country but his supporters are now pressuring him to take it head-on. Deputy President Ruto is already torn between the YES/NO vote. As the MPs divide him from inside, that is the same they are dividing the country.
This is the Objective
By not pointing towards a YES/NO scenario, the DP is openly leaving his supporters to sink in dire confusion. When the deputy says he cuts down costs but points towards additional elected MPs just like the BBI suggests, he confuses the people more.
The DP further points suggestions upon solo voting of the BBI’s articles. This move would literary lead to more confusion and more campaigns as opposed to the general YES/NO voting.
Looking at the DP’s whole mindset around the BBI report, his main aim seems to be confusion. The DP does not want Kenyans to actually understand what the BBI report offers.
Again, the team that came up with the BBI recommendations took a long time of research. They thoroughly went through every suggestion they came up with. However, the DP has taken a short period of time to air his suggestions. As such, the DP comes up with suggestions that seem strong on the outside but lack enough reasoning.
Towards the end of the meeting, it was noted that the MPs were in such a hurry to leave the DP’s residence. They even shouted as journalists questioned the DP wanting the question to end. One of the journalists suggested that the MPs leave so that the journalists would remain with the DP since they were so much in a hurry.
You can only hurriedly leave a host you do not like or you do not agree with.
