Raila's four-million-signature strategy for BBI referendum

Planners of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) have rolled out a grand plan to collect more than four million signatures in a record seven days, the Nation has established.

Key to the strategy is the division of the country into 14 regions each with between three and four counties.

The 14 regions will have coordinators who will be answerable to the national steering committee co-chaired by National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohamed and former Dagoretti South MP Dennis Waweru. 

Yesterday, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s partner in the push to change the constitution, said it was all systems go.

“On Thursday, we shall launch the collection of signatures. Thereafter, the document will be sent to all counties, constituencies and wards. We want the exercise to be completed latest end of next week,” he said in Nairobi leaders of county assemblies. 

“We want to go beyond the one million mark,” Mr Mohamed told the Nation. “The structures we have laid down will ensure just that,” he added. Mr Waweru said: “We are targeting a higher number of signatures than the one provided for in the constitution.”

The country has been clustered into Coast, Nairobi, Ukambani, Maasailand, Nyanza, Western, Gusiiland, Mt Kenya East, Mt Kenya West, North Rift, South Rift, North Eastern, and Upper Eastern.

At the national level, Mr Odinga, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, his Chama Cha Mashinani counterpart Isaac Ruto, trade unionist Francis Atwoli and other party leaders will provide leadership alongside the steering committee.

Technical team

The technical team is headed by Kisii Woman Rep Janet Ong’era and Sarah Kilemi. 

The ODM leader once again dismissed the possibility of further amendments: “We have explained to MCA leadership that it is not possible at this point in time to revise the document.” 

There will also be 47 county coordinators supported by county coordinating committees to be chaired by governors.

Council of Governors chairman Wycliffe Oparanya will lead the push in Western, while in Gusii, the task falls on Kisii govrnor James Ongwae and Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i.

In Luo Nyanza, Kisumu’s Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o will lead the charge supported by his head of protocol Bob Madanje and ODM treasurer Timothy Bosire. Kitui’s Charity Ngilu will lead the push in Ukambani.

Nakuru’s Lee Kinyanjui has been tasked with leading Mt Kenya West, while Elgeyo Marakwet’s Alex Tolgos, who was the region’s BBI coordinator, will lead the push in the North Rift.

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru and Senate Majority Whip Irungu Kang’ata champion the drive in Central while nominated MP Maina Kamanda, who leads a group of pro-BBI MPs from Jubilee and ODM, will take charge in Nairobi. Apart from the national functions, Mr Ruto, the former Bomet governor, will lead the South Rift cluster.

At the Coast, both Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and his Kilifi counterpart Amason Kingi will take charge while Kajiado Governor Joseph ole Lenku will be the man in charge of the Maasailand (Kajiado and Narok).

The county coordinating committee will have a supervisory role over county coordinators and also ensure that all the collected signatures are verified to avoid disputes once they are submitted to the IEBC, Mr Mohamed explained.

Jubilee vice chairman David Murathe said Mr Odinga, who met governors from Western and Nyanza in Kisumu on Sunday, also plans to meet county chiefs and opinion leaders in clusters from Central, North-eastern, Coast, North Rift, Central Rift, South Rift, Ukambani, Maasailand, and women leaders.

Mr Odinga on Sunday was hosted by trade unionist Francis Atwoli at his Ildamat home in Kajiado in a meeting that was also attended by Kanu chairman Gideon Moi, Mr Murathe, National Assembly Majority Whip Emmanuel Wangwe, Senate Minority Leader James Orengo, and Mr Mohamed.

Financing referendum

“The train has left the station. The secretariat is now set up. From here on, the most important thing will be the collection of signatures,” said Mr Murathe.

National Assembly Budget Committee chairman Kanini Kega, whose docket will be crucial in financing the referendum, said those pushing for amendments were out to derail the process.

Deputy President William Ruto is calling on the country to focus on Covid-19 which is “clearly ravaging our nation with alarming increases in infections and deaths”, translated to mean a cessation of the BBI campaigns.

“We should stop everything and mobilise every human, material and financial resource to fight,” Dr Ruto said on Twitter.

With the plans to start collecting signatures in top gear, Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana has come out to caution against the process, saying there is need to create a referendum law without which the entire BBI process will be illegal.

“We are waiting for the law which will make BBI a proper process,” he said on Friday.

Reporting by Patrick Lang’at, Ibrahim Oruko and Justus Ochieng’