BBI Mombasa rally kicks off with calls for powerful PM

The Coast region has tabled its list of recommendations in the ongoing Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) in Mombasa.

The raft of recommendations were born out of a delegates meeting which was held at the Wild Waters in Mombasa.

Saturday’s rally kicked off with calls for an expanded executive: a powerful Prime Minister position aided by two deputies.

If passed, the model of Governance, according to the proposition, will also include a president and a deputy with all the positions of power being shared equally among regions.

The coast leaders have also proposed the creation of two regions; an upper coast region and a lower coast region.

The upper region will be made up of Kilifi, Tana River and Lamu counties and a lower region will be made up of  Taita Taveta, Kwale and Mombasa.

These regions will then be under a federal government system which is essentially pushing for a second-tier of devolution.

Such a scenario will see the creation of a three-tier model of governance; the National Government headed by the president, the Regional Government headed by Regional Governors and County Governments headed by Governors.

In their list of recommendations, the delegates also proposed the implementations of the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) report which points out at historical injustices.

Also proposed was the implementation of the Ndungu report-Kenya’s most authoritative document on land issues.

Leaders said the execution of the TJRC and Ndung’u reports will give closure and help Kenya move forward.

The delegates in their final report also proposed the revival of defunct industries; cotton, rice and Korosho sugar (cashew nuts) and the creation of a blue economy with a minister from the Coast region.