BBI AND THE 2020 POLITICS
The March, 2019 self-swearing-in ceremony by Raila Odinga as the People’s President was a signal to the ruler President, Mr Kenyatta that their exist an opportunity of dialogue between them. As such, a hand shake between the two occurred. This led to the formation of the BBI Steering Committee that was officially gazetted on 24th May, 2019 in the Kenyan Gazette. On Tuesday, 26th November 2019, the two leaders officially received the BBI Report and on 27th November 2019, the BBI report was the officially inaugurated to the public, this was just after the Steering Committee had completed taking peoples opinion on the nine point agenda that all in total talked about improvement of the Country leadership, Economy, Nepotism, Corruption and Unity.
Many of whom do not comprehend politics believed that the formation and appointment of BBI steering Committee members was all about to bring change. But upon looking at many of the BBI Committee members, whom many are political advisers of the two leaders, one can deduce that the two leaders were in control of the entails of the BBI and that the BBI itself was a government project that would use public resources while conducting its affairs.
This is what had happened; approximately 10 billion Kenya Shillings were used in formulating the BBI report. Its crista clears that the BBI is a political project that is related to the succession of President Uhuru Kenyatta. There is no doubt that William Ruto and Railla Odinga have intentions of succeeding the presidency. Even though Raila Odinga is yet to publicly declare this intention, the comments of his inner circles do indicate that he is going to vie for the presidency and win the sit just like William Ruto who believes he will eventually capture the seat.
Mr.Raila has been in the forefront in campaigning for the BBI agendas to the public through the style commonly known as “Populist Aproach” which he has been using more often to hoodwink the masses. The BBI has been one of the new strategies of Raila Odinga, as he himself mentions in his speech during the burial ceremony of the mother of Gem MP Joe Donde;“You have seen me change tack, this is strategy. There are several ways than can lead us to where our ambition is.” Through the BBI its seems he, Raila is arranging a team that includes people like Ann Waiguru, Wyclife Oparanya, Fred Matiangi and Eugen Wamalwa. In addition Raila has allowed the proposal of coastal people as mentioned by Amoson Kingi, to be adopted so as to make BBI reflect as people’s project rather than a project of the two individual. These steps of Raila have made jitters to the “Tangatanga team” supporters of William Ruto who view that the BBI agenda would squash the ambitions of vying for presidency.
- Kenyan Politics
In the year 2016, William Kabongo pronounced that Ruto would be required to work extra hard so as to obtain the votes from the Kikuyu Community. During his stepping down as a Jubilee Vice Chairman, David Murathe said, “I now find that it is no longer tenable to stay on as the party vice-chairman, given that I will have to sit in the same National Executive Council with a man I am taking to court to block from running for president,” In addition Murathe had once said that Mt Kenya was not indebted to William Ruto.
- War on Corruption
There are many claims from Ruto camp that the war on Corruption is a war on Ruto. Oscar Sudi and Senator Murkomen have frequently mentioned that the Director of Criminal Investigation Mr. George Kinoti is being used to fight Ruto. During his speech in the LSK Conference in Mombasa, Ruto said,” A war on corruption that lacks integrity ceases to be a war on corruption, and becomes corruption itself. A war that lacks integrity is impunity. An integrity war waged selectively, using convenient half-truths, with political outcomes in mind, is impunity,” As for what has been done recently against Mike Sonko and Ferdinad Waititu, the Ruto camp has perceived this to be a smear campaign against the Deputy President. It’s important to understand that resources are very important during elections and campaigning period. Therefore, these wars are to belittle Ruto’s financial muscles, hence incapable in campaigning and buying people. Such a method in politics is called Containment policy.
Logical, upon looking at the BBI report, one understands that there is nothing new, except a new political card being played by the politicians against it’s people. When looking in depth, one deduces that all that has been suggested by the BBI report are actually functions of the state. This means that when a state implements its functions its citizens are likely to reach a higher level of satisfaction, thus not requiring any commissions or reports.
In his BBI rally speech at Mama Ngina water front, Raila Odinga said,”No one can stop Reggea.” Meaning the beats played by politicians are of no doubt, the public will dance for it. Wandia Njoya, a writer, mentions regarding BBI that it’s a, ”declaration of war by the political elite on the people”.
Since many ordinary citizens do not have that which is called “political awareness’’ , politicians tend to utilize this weakness hence put forward solutions that benefit the politicians themselves. In addition, these politicians have been taking advantage of the people’s yawn for change against colonialist ideology, by giving them agendas that capture their instincts and sensations.
The difference of opinions in political agendas that occur most of the time, is a result of difference of interests among the politicians themselves and not other than the interests of the public. William Clay says; “This is quite a game of Politics. There are no permanent enemies and no permanent friends, only permanent interests.”
logically, this means that the basis of the differences and agreements of politicians are their self-interest and not the interest of the public. One of the camps is for continuation of the status quo while the other is of not. Importantly when politicians vie for positions, they normally divide the ordinary citizens by inciting tribalism and regionalism hence never at all object to unite the people.
SHABANI MWALIMU
MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE OF HIZB UT TAHRIR, KENYA