NAIROBI, Kenya Nov 25 – The collection of signatures for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) has formally kicked off, following the launch presided over by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his handshake partner Raila Odinga.
President Kenyatta said the BBI process does not seek to replace the 2010 Constitution, “this process is seeking to amend it.”
“This is a progressive country and Kenyans must be prepared for change,” he said and urged the public to “overwhelmingly support the process for a prosperous and united Kenya for generations to come.”
Raila said “Kenya has opened a new chapter that will culminate to a national referendum.”
Raila said “Reggae had just posed, and is now back” and declared that “no body can stop reggae.”
Several Governors and Senators as well as former MPs were among leaders who signed for the initiative at the event held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi.
BBI Secretariat’s Joint Secretaries Suna East MP Junet Mohamed and former Dagoreti South MP Dennis Waweru said the exercise will take a week, before the signatures are handed to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) before the process moves to the County Assemblies in preparation for a national referendum.
“We are going to follow all the public health protocols because there is COVID-19,” Junet said, “we are moving very fast because we have timelines to beat.”
He said the secretariat had developed mechanisms to Kenyans sign for the BBI online on www.bbisignatures.org.
“This will cater for those who will not be able to sign physically, you just need to log and sign and submit your details,” Junet said.
The BBI Secretariat also unveiled www.bbisignatures.org for Kenyans to sign for the initiative online.
