That BBI, Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020   is going to the county assemblies is a big call to leadership at the local level.

Governors and MCAs have been agitating for more funds to the wards and now that five per cent of the increased devolved funds to each county will be divided equally among the wards, they should take the conversation to how this fund will change lives of the locals. 

The urgent matter now is to have robust debates at the county assemblies and the need to see articles that touch on the common mwananchi articulated in a manner that illuminates the amendment bill, for what it is and not what politicians want it to be. 

The bill is giving MCAs what they have always wanted, and it would be interesting to know their reasons for rejecting the bill? 

Politics of deceit

But citizenship does not call for the MCAs to accept it because it has most of their demands.

Not at all. Citizenship demands that these MCAs rise to the occasion and help Kenyans understand how the proposed constitutional changes will address the plight of the poor; change the lives of the people and bridge that gap between the rich and the poor. 

Those opposed to the bill, have a greater responsibility to help us understand how the demands MCAs and governors have been making since the advent of devolution, are unnecessary today. 

Politics of succession should not shroud the benefits in the bill or lack thereof, and we should not allow politicians to lie to us, that rejecting BBI is bringing the common mwananchi on the table. 

To allow such politics of deceit is to make a mockery of the resources and important development decision-making powers that goes to the very local development unit – the ward.

MCAs will administer five per cent of the devolved funds and yet politicians opposed to BBI, want to muddy the waters and call all these sweeteners to woo the MCAs. 

Now let us say that they are sweeteners and ask ourselves so what? At the end of the day the money will go to the wards. Public participation spirit of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 puts this into perspective. 

You see, there is opposing BBI for political expediency and opposing it for relevance sake and it appears that regardless of what BBI says, a few people who perceive BBI as a stumbling block to their quest for power, hold on both reasons to deceive Kenyans. 

The time is nigh to call on our politicians, especially MCAs to drive the conversation by illuminating how the per cent of the county share to the wards will change lives.

To overwhelmingly pass the bill in a referendum, MCAs need to help the citizens in their wards understand how that money will be harnessed to address needs at the local level where public participation has a great impact. 

Merchants of violence

MPs on the other hand need to help Kenyans understand the legislation they will put in place to ensure increased fiscal capacity, to safeguard the resources channelled to the people.

While at it, they should also explain to Kenyans, how National Government Constituency Development Fund  and the five per cent to the wards, will complement each other in addressing developmental needs. 

In fact, in counties where constituencies have been increased, the MPs and MCAs who support BBI should make it clear to the people that for every new constituency, at least 137 million will be channelled to the county to address local development needs.

 But importantly, we need to hear the voices opposed to the BBI  on substantive issues and deal with intolerance that frustrates divergence of opinion. 

Nevertheless, with all these resources going down to the common mwananchi, the merchants of violence should be worried.

It will be impossible to hire goons to go unleash violence in political rallies for Sh200. — [email protected]