Referendum or no referendum, Building Bridges Initiative or Punguza Mizigo? These are themes that are dominating airwaves withe every passing day, and one feels they’ll not be totally done away with until or after the 2022 general elections. The handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has been gazumped by the referendum talk, or rather, is all part of the referendum plan, depending on which camp you are in, whether the Tanga tanga or Kieleweke camp. The BBI especially is so interwoven with the politics power play currently, that some leaders see it as a precursor to the 2022 general elections, detailed in a widely e4xpected referendum.
It’s all fun and games when politicians cross the country presenting their reasons why a new referendum is suitable or not, or why the BBI trumps Thirdway Alliance’s Punguza Mizigo, although it has faced massive rejection in some Counties so far. But the fun ends on the other side, it culminates when the referendum tides have passed and Kenyans realize it was all what astute people knew all along, power play, a game of cards, puppets and chess, only that this time round, the puppet masters are the politicians. The few sane leaders are urging Kenyans to make wise decisions on the BBI and Punguza Mizigo before settling on anything, and to carefully review any proposals regarding constitutional changes.
The wheels of politics started in medieval ages, whether in open fora or private discussions, whether in Grecian times or the ages of enlightenment, and they won’t stop anytime soon. As a result, no politician can claim that the hour of politicking has passed, because to many, politics never stops. Now the game has been taken a notch higher, from the handshake, which has brought peace and calm to the country, to the BBI, and we must be keen with what has been placed on the table for us, lest we chew rocks and crush our teeth.
After the latest fronts by leaders, they’ll be forgotten, maybe we’ll have a referendum remembrance day, but issues of relevance will shift and we’ll be left to ourselves to shoulder consequences of graft, poor health sector, youth unemployment, leaders who aren’t accountable, among other issues. So, it’s paramount for Kenyans to make wise decisions concerning the BBI and other proposed changes, and expect a repeated cycle of politics afterwards.