NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 18 – The number of County Assemblies that have passed the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Bill rose to 11 Thursday, following approvals by Nairobi, Vihiga and Laikipia.
In Nairobi County Assembly, 114 MCAs voted in favour of the report in a unanimous vote, with many saying the County stood to reap big from benefits contained in the report.
“Having considered, debated and approved the Constitutional BBI Bill 2020, the Speaker of the county assembly shall deliver a copy of the draft Bill jointly to the Speakers of the two Houses of Parliament with a certificate that the Assembly has approved it and attest to fulfill that at the rise of this Assembly,” said Benson Mutura, the Speaker of the Assembly.
In Laikipia County Assembly, all the 24 members who were present in the chambers voted in favour of the report.
“Once we attain the 24 county assemblies required, we are going to enlighten our people on the ground so that they also make the right decision,” stated Laikipia County Assembly Speaker Patrick Waigwa.
The Bill Bill requires the approval of 24 counties for it to be presented to both Houses of Parliament for consideration and thereafter be subjected to a national referendum.
Other counties which have passed the Bill include Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Busia, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Kajiado, and Kisii.
So far only Baringo County Assembly has voted to oppose the Bill.
The BBI Bill which proposes the expansion of the National Executive by adding the Office of the Prime Minister and two deputies was borne out of a March 2018 truce between President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga which ended hostilities sparked by the latter’s rejection of the 2017 presidential election outcome.
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