PNU to pursue BBI agenda beyond President’s term
Gakuu Mathenge
Party of National Unity (PNU) says it will push for full implementation of the Building Bridges Initiative agenda beyond the Jubilee government’s term in office.
Founding Secretary General George Nyamweya yesterday said BBI agenda preceded the Jubilee administration and will outlive it until the vision is fully implemented.
Historical roots
“The vision of an expanded national Executive was conceived in 1997 in recognition of the heavy task of turning around the country’s economic fortunes after many years of stagnation under Kanu,”said Nyamweya.
“The mass unemployment and misery Kenyans feel today has historical roots.
The actions that need to be taken to turn things around to root out endemic corruption, for instance, call for heavy lifting, political sacrifices and resource deployment that demand broad consensus by the national leadership to make a dent,” said Nyamweya.
In recognition of the arduous task that post-Kanu governments would face to meet the demands of times and expectations of the populace, retired President Mwai Kibaki proposed a broad-based Executive in his second presidential bid manifesto for the 1997 general elections.
“He proposed to form a broad-based executive comprising a President, two vice-presidents, a prime minister and four deputy prime ministers.
“We called these portfolio envelopes each with clearly defined functions and roles, not just high sounding titles.
Of course he did not make it in 1997 and ended up as official leader of the opposition for another five years,” Nyamweya said.
He said the retired President was supportive of the Handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga, because it gave impetus to revisit his vision for a broad-based national leadership and broad-based political consensus.
“For instance, corruption fights back, and it is vicious to fight without solid political muscle of the public support behind you.
The Anglo Leasing scam, for example, nearly collapsed the first Kibaki administration in its infancy.
PNU is determined to pursue this vision, this time through the BBI route, beyond the Jubilee administration.
Even if it were to pass, it will still need champions and committed custodians to see it through to fruition”
PNU is in the process of rebranding and refurbishing party structures through regional and national caucusing in readiness for a national delegates conference to re-launch its agenda for 2022 and beyond.
Legal hurdles
Among the events on the calendar include 14th anniversary to mark the launch of the party by Kibaki on September 16, 2007.
The retired President launched the PNU party as his second presidential bid vehicle after he found it difficult to seek re-election on the National Rainbow Coalition due to leadership wrangles and legal hurdles.
