The County Assembly of Kitui today passed the BBI constitutional amendment bill 2020 becoming the eighteenth county to endorse the Building Bridges Initiative report.
All the 54 MCAs unanimously voted in favor of the the report which was a product of the March 2018 handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM Party Leader Raila Odinga.
The motion was moved by the Assembly’s leader of majority Peter Kilonzo and seconded by minority leader Alex Nganga in the morning session.
Mr Kilonzo said the bill would address a myriad of problems facing the country including electoral animosity, marginalization and corruption, among others.
“The introduction of the proposed Ward Development Fund will strengthen the mandate of County Assembly to promote development in the ward level and reduce autonomy of the executive arm,” he told the house.
“This will address disruption of public service delivery in instances where the Assembly is at loggerheads with the Executive as witnessed in the last two years,” he added urging members to approve the motion.
On his part, Mr Nganga said, “time has come for us as leaders to promote peaceful coexistence in the country. No single Kenyan should lose their life due to violent general elections.”
He, however, registered dissatisfaction with the distribution of the BBI-proposed additional constituencies which sidelined Kitui County.
Speaker George Ndoto thanked the members for their undivided cooperation in endorsing the bill.
The bill requires approval of constitutional threshold of 24 counties to proceed to the legislature stage.
So far, eighteen county assemblies including Kitui have passed the bill while only Baringo has rejected it.
They are Siaya, Homa Bay, Kisumu, Busia, West Pokot, Trans Nzoia, Kajiado, Kisii, Vihiga, Nairobi, Laikipia, Kakamega, Samburu, Narok, Machakos, Murang’a and Makueni.