Uhuru appoints BBI report implementation team as Okiya Omtatah moves to court

President Uhuru Kenyatta has appointed a 14-member committee that is expected to oversee implementation of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report.

At the same time, Activist Okiya Omtatah has filed a petition in court seeking to stop President Kenyatta from extending the mandate of the 14-member team, known as the “Steering Committee on the Implementation of the Building Bridges to a United Kenya Taskforce Report.”

The committee will be required to conduct a validation of the BBI report through consultations with citizens, civil society, the faith-based organizations, cultural leaders, the private sector, and experts.

“IT IS notified for general information of the public that His Excellency Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, has appointed the Steering Committee on the Implementation of the Building Bridges to a United Kenya Taskforce Report,” reads a gazette notice dated January 10, 2020.

After consultations with various stakeholders, the steering committee is expected to come up with proposals that ought to be made to pave the way for implementation of the BBI report.

“The Terms of Reference of the Steering Committee shall be to: propose administrative, policy, statutory or constitutional changes that may be necessary for the implementation of the recommendations contained in the Task Force Report, taking into account any relevant contributions made during the validation period,” adds the Gazette notice.

According to the Gazette notice, the Steering Committee shall submit its “comprehensive advice to the Government by June 30, 2020 or such a date as the President may, by notice in the Gazette, prescribe.”

The committee is composed of the BBI taskforce members who included Senator Yusuf Haji, Bishop Lawi Imathiu,
Maison Leshomo, James Matundura, Rose Moseu, Agnes Kavindu Muthama, Prof. Saeed Mwaguni, Bishop Peter Njenga, Archbishop Emeritus Zaccheaus Okoth, Prof. Adams Oloo, Senator Amos Wako,  Dr. Florence Omose, Prof.
Morompi ole Ronkei and Retired Major John Seii.

The joint secretaries will be Amb. Martin Kimani and Lawyer Paul Mwangi, who shall to be responsible for all official communication on behalf of the Steering Committee.

“In the performance of its functions, the Steering Committee shall appoint its chairperson and vice-chairperson from among its members and regulate its own procedure within confines of the law and the Constitution,” states the Gazette notice.

The Steering Committee is also allowed to: “form technical working groups as may be required in the achievement of its terms of reference and hold such number of meetings in such places and at such times as the it shall consider necessary for the proper discharge of its functions.”

The team shall shall solicit, receive and consider written memoranda or information from the public; and may carry out or cause to be carried out such assessments, studies or research as may inform its mandate.