(3 minutes read)
· Kenya’s Supreme Court started hearing a controversial constitutional review bill that will have severe political ramifications
· The politically sensitive plan known as Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) envisages to create new positions in the executive (a prime minister, two deputy prime ministers and an opposition leader) and to increase the number of parliamentarians (from 290 to 360)
· According to the outgoing president Uhuru Kenyatta, who initiated the project, the move is designed to dilute the “winner takes all” rule
Kenya’s Supreme Court started hearing a controversial constitutional review bill that will have severe political ramifications. The politically sensitive plan known as Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) envisages creating new positions in the executive (a prime minister, two deputy prime ministers and an opposition leader) and to increase the number of parliamentarians (from 290 to 360).
According to the outgoing president Uhuru Kenyatta, who initiated the project, the move is designed to dilute the “winner takes all” rule. This, he feels, is the cause of the post-election conflicts in Kenya. The bill was passed by parliament in May to be put to a referendum. However, its critics had taken the bill to court. In the first hearing, the court of appeal ruled that the president did not have the constitutional right to initiate such a process. It also ruled in terse words that Kenyatta could be sued in civil court for illegally initiating the process.
The hearings in the Supreme Court will continue till Thursday before the Court announces the date of their decision. The elections are scheduled for 9 August. In that case, even if the Court of appeal gives the decision in favor of the government, it is unlikely the decision will be implemented due to the shortage of time for holding the election.
