The Building Bridges Initiative is a political agreement which is in place in Kenya. It was agreed in 2018 in response to unrest following the 2017 elections. The agreement attempts to prevent further election fraud and hostility. It has been criticised for keeping power amongst the elite and away from the people.
What is it?
The Building Bridges Initiative to a New Kenyan Nation (BBI) is a pact between the Kenyan president, Uhuru Kenyatta, and the leader of the opposition, Raila Odinga. It was agreed in March 2018, following the controversial general and presidential elections of 2017. The BBI was agreed with a symbolic meeting of the two politicians known as ‘The Handshake’.
Why was it introduced?
In August 2017, Kenya held a general election in which the president, Uhuru Kenyatta, defeated the challenger, Raila Odinga. This meant Kenyatta would be president from 2013 until at least 2022. However, the result was declared unjust by the Supreme Court, leading to a separate presidential election. Kenyatta won again, this time by a landslide, but many still felt the result was unfair. This led to months of tension within the country, and even caused some violence. In order to avoid conflict, the two men shook hands and proposed the BBI.
What does it propose?
The BBI report was first published in November 2019, but after some complaints, a second and final version was published in October 2020. Its main goal is to prevent election fraud and election hostility. It tries to do this by shifting power away from only the winner of the election. Proposals include introducing the role of a prime minister, electing more members of parliament, and providing county governments with more funding.
Bridges or walls?
Many people have criticised the BBI. They argue that the problem is not with power going to the winner of the election, but rather with power being in the hands of the elite and not the people. The proposals in the BBI report make this problem worse by introducing more positions of power within the elite and making it harder for new political challengers to compete in elections. Instead of building bridges between opposing parties, the BBI is building walls between the politicians and the people.
What can be done?
A worrying sign is that the BBI is not being put to a vote, even though it proposes changes to the 2010 constitution. The Kenyan people cannot currently make a democratic decision on whether to accept the BBI or not. However, the rerun of the 2017 election shows that by making their voices heard, they are able to demand democratic rights. If they act now, the Kenyan people can secure a chance to accept or reject the BBI themselves.
