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 County Assemblies urged to speed up passage of BBI bill

Ugunja member of parliament, Opiyo Wandayi has called on the county assemblies not to delay the passage of the BBI Bill submitted to them by IEBC Tuesday.

Wandayi who is also the Orange democratic Movement party’s director for political affairs said that Kenyans were looking forward to the county assemblies to hasten the process to pave way for a referendum that will enable Kenyans make changes to the 2010 constitution.

Speaking to KNA on phone Wednesday, the legislator urged the counties not to let Kenyans down, adding that they should move with speed and take the bill through the due process.

He called on the county assemblies that are on recess to suspend their break and arrange for special sittings to dispense of the bill.

Lauding the IEBC for submitting the bill to the assemblies, the MP however faulted the electoral body for taking too long to verify signatures, adding that there was need for a law that will give timelines for such exercise.

Wandayi, the chairman of the national assembly’s public accounts committee said the absence of such a law gives the IEBC top brass advantage to buy time, hence keeping Kenyans guessing on the way forward.

The submission of the BBI (constitutional amendment bill) 2021 to the 47 county assemblies marks the final push for the famous Handshake driven efforts to bring changes, aimed at ensuring peaceful coexistence in the country even after general elections.

This now puts the assemblies on the spot as they will be expected to subject it through public participation and take a vote, the verdict which is expected in the national assembly and senate within three months.

by Philip Onyango

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