Atwoli faults BBI saying it does not address the real concerns

COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli addressing press in Kisumu today where he faulted the BBI Report saying it does not address the real concerns of the common man-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

By Dickson Odhiambo

November 28, 2019

Atwoli faults BBI saying it does not address the real concerns

CENTRAL Organization of Trade Unions General Secretary Francis Atwoli has faulted the Building Bridges Initiative Report that was officially launched yesterday saying it does not address the concern of the common citizens.

Atwoli says the report which has a proposal of a Prime Minister that will be appointed by the President and may be dismissed is not the right thing for Kenyans.

Addressing the media today at Tom Mboya Labour College during a meeting on Social Dialogue Project, the Cotu Boss said there should be a powerful Prime Minister who is not an appointee of the President.

Atwoli says the Report should have also provided for the position of two Deputy Prime Minister and two deputy President, adding this may help in addressing the issue of Gender parity.

Atwoli says there should be a constitution that helps in bringing peace when it is all inclusive.

The cotu boss the current BBI report only replaces the position of the Leader of Majority in the Government with that of a less powerful Prime Minister who will be appointed by the President.

“If the current report is implemented the way it is, people will fight because the report has only replaced the position of the leader of Majority with an appointed prime minister who can be equally be sacked at any time by the appointing authority who is the president,” Atwoli says.

Atwoli says that the proposed prime minister post is not constitutional one, adding that all the powers will be trenched to the President hence everyone would want to become the President of the Republic.

Atwoli proposes that there should be a Parliamentary system of Government, adding that this will help in bringing distribution of authority.

“If we want to address gender, we must have two Deputy Presidents where one is a male and the other is a female. We also need to have two Deputy Prime Ministers a male and a female,” Atwoli adds.

Atwoli says senior Positions like that of the Chief Secretary should also be put in the report, adding that this will be filled by someone who was in opposition.

He says all over the world, positions in the constitution are created with people who will be filling such positions in mind.

He says a powerful president without a Parliamentary system of Government won’t be a good thing for the country at all.

The Cotu General Secretary’s remarks comes barely a day after both President Uhuru Kenyatta and Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga yesterday launched the Building Bridges Initiative Report at the Bomas of Kenya.

Among the proposal in the Report include the President appointing Prime Minister who will a Member of Parliament.

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