The Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) days ago issued their view of the BBI and it behoves the ordinary Kenyan, you and me the long suffering citizen of Kenya to keenly listen to, record and digest the bishops’ views on BBI.
The Catholic Church Bishops read the BBI meticulously they meditated over it, they prayed over it. What they say is objective, impartial and takes into consideration the past the present and the future of Kenya. Unlike the cunning, selfish, self centered political class, the Catholic Church leadership has no vested interest in BBI. The politicians’ utterances on BBI are poisoned chalice. They are pursuing personal agendas disguised as the ordinary citizens’ agendas. They are duplicitous. Be wary what the politicians glorify as in your interest. Most times it is against the people’s interest
The upshot of the Catholic Bishops position on BBI is that it seeks to entrench an Imperial Presidency and overburdens Kenyans. They state that what Kenya needs is not more governance, more elective and nominated seats but “better governance”. What wisdom? They hit the nail on the head. Kenya needs better governance and not more parasites in government.
West Media has stated it over and over that nobody is answering the question what will it cost Kenyans in terms of “governance” with BBI when already 65% of the National Budget and County Governments’ budget is going to recurrent expenditure. The 65% benefits less than 3.5 million Kenyans. The rest of Kenyans, 44 million, have to hope to benefit from 35%. What madness?
The BBI is hazy on economic productivity and skyrocketing National and County debts. We cannot as a nation, be obsessed with sharing the national cake yet we are not equally obsessed with baking the cake. We salute the Catholic Bishops for coming forward to stand for the truth, for the interests of the people of Kenya, that the elected leaders politicians, public servants continue to trample upon and calling BBI for what it truly is a game of smoke and mirrors for the political intelligentsia to satiate their insatiable political self interests that for Kenya has reached cannibalistic levels
It is not enough for BBI to throw here and there populist proposals, to entice the ordinary Kenyan and in the same breath entrench proposals that will create dictatorship, over representation and unsustainable, inequitable offices for politicians disguised as seeking to attain gender parity, inclusivity.
So long as BBI is projected, promoted as an exclusive President Uhuru Kenyatta-Hon. Raila Odinga private property, it cannot be for the good of Kenya. Why is there this attempt to monopolize a constitutional change process by two people and their diehard insiders and sycophants? Where then is the adherence to the national values principles of governance at article 10 of the Constitution of patriotism, national unity, sharing and devolution of power, the rule of law, democracy and participation of the people, human dignity, equity, social justice, inclusiveness, equality, human rights, non discrimination and protection of the marginalized, good governance, integrity, transparency and accountability.
We must if at all we have to change the Constitution be guided by the existing Constitution. How is a now illegitimate Parliament (as declared by the Chief Justice) to preside over the BBI that is being attempted to be rammed down Kenyans “wapende wasipende?” Yes views were taken from Kenyans but the “Constitutional Amendment Bill” being fronted as the basis of Constitutional Amendments has not been interrogated by Kenyans to determine that it is reflective of their views given to the committee. The Bill is a creature of the BBI steering committee. It must be ruthlessly interrogated and changed if need be so that after the referendum we will not start crying and wailing about this or that. The Constitutional changes should not be tied to the “sell by date” of President Kenyatta and Hon. Raila Odinga. The Constitution is the property of all the sovereign people of Kenya. Repeat ALL sovereign people of Kenya