Feb, 10th 2021 – The BBI draft bill has been received in Uasin Gishu County assembly but it’s yet to be tabled for approval or disapproval. County assembly speaker David Kiplagat, had earlier stated they will conduct sensitization meetings across the county to ensure the voters understand the documents before giving their verdict.
Kiplagat said, “We have to consult our voters before making any decision on the BBI draft bill. I hope the BBI proponents will take us through the pros and cons, the benefits and disadvantages of BBI before we start discussing it at the county assembly.”
He also stated that as a county they would not put much emphasis on the BBI, but focus on how they can support the residents overcome the challenges of Covid 19. Speaking at the County Assembly he said, “Our concern at the moment is with the flailing health sector and the poor state of the country’s economy made worse by the effect of CoronaVirus. We can talk about BBI later after ensuring Kenyans are protected from Covid and reviving the economy.“
He added, “The government should be focusing on how Kenyans can get a vaccine for Corona and how the economy can be revived to enable Kenyans earn a decent living.”
Uasin Gishu was the first to pass the ‘punguza mizigo’ bill which did not get the threshold of 24 assemblies. Siaya and Kisumu county assemblies have passed the bill.
Independent Electoral Boundaries and Commission (IEBC) had already cleared the BBI draft Bill after a successful verification of signatures. It was then submitted to all the 47 County Assemblies for debate.