National Assembly overwhelmingly passes the BBI Bill

The National Assembly on Thursday night overwhelmingly passed the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) driven Constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill 2020.

A total of 320 Members of Parliament participated in voting during the Second Reading where 235 of them voted in favour of the bill while 83 voted against it with two others abstaining.

During voting in the Third Reading, which occurred a few minutes to midnight, 224 MPs voted in support of the bill while 63 shot it down and two abstained.

The voting was largely divided along political lines with lawmakers allied to BBI co-principals President Uhuru Kenyatta and former premier Raila Odinga voting in support of the bill.

Most of those associated with Deputy President William Ruto shot down the bill, with a small section of them however mysteriously siding with the Yes team.

The other House of Parliament, the Senate, is now expected to vote on the bill next week before paving the way for a referendum.

President Kenyatta and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila recently urged members of the two Houses of Parliament to pass the BBI Bill.

The BBI co-principals, in a joint statement released on Wednesday evening, told both members of the National Assembly and the Senate to uphold the will of the millions of Kenyans who appended their signatures in support of the bill.

The duo also asked the lawmakers to shelve their personal political pursuits and stand with the 44 County Assemblies that approved the bill.

“We are making a joint appeal to members of the National assembly and the Senate to join the 3,188,001 Kenyans who supported the Bill, and the 44 County Assemblies who approved it,  in upholding what represents the hopes and aspirations of all those who participated in the various public forums seeking long term solutions to this country’s problems,” read the statement.

“We are asking them to stand up with their countrymen in charting a non-partisan and selfless way forward for all of us. This is not the time for political adversity nor for personal aggrandizement. This is the time to listen to the people and to remember that it is their sovereignty we exercise as their servants.”

It further added: “After this vote, the Bill shall be going directly to the people to confirm that indeed they are satisfied that we have been listening to them as they talk.  Let us be the faithful servants we were all elected to be.”