Page 63 - MANDERA-COUNTY- THE 2019 MAGAZINE

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Building the bridge of national unity

embers of the Building Bridges to
Unity Advisory Taskforce commonly
Mknown as the Building Bridges Initia-
tive (BBI) chaired by the Wajir Senator Yusuf
Haji visited Mandera County and collected
views from the members of the public and
leaders on nine key issues.

Residents from the county’s seven sub-coun-
ties who gathered at the Granada Hotel in the
town gave their views on the country’s divisive
elections, lack of national ethos, ethnic antag-
onism and competition, inclusivity, devolution,
safety and security, corruption, shared pros-
perity and responsibilities and rights.
Before the members started the session at
the hotel they visited Border Point 1 where the
boundary of Kenya-Ethiopia and Somali meet
to assess the progress of the securitization
programme on the Kenya-Somalia border.
The members said that securing the countries building bridges Initiative Chairman Senator Yusuf Haji (right), Vice-Chairman Prof Adams
border was a prerequisite to curtailing terror- Oloo (left) with former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Nairobi
ism, curbing illegal products being smuggled
into the country and ensuring the security of
Kenyan citizens, which in turn could lead to
development and peaceful coexistence.

Presenting his views to the BBI Taskforce,
Governor Ali Roba called for the fixing of the
problems bedeviling the Independent Elec-
toral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to
enable the commission to be more acceptable
to gain public confidence.
The team formed following President Uhuru
Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga’s
‘handshake’ to oversee the implementation of
the Building Bridges Initiative and come up
with a road map to lasting peace in the coun-
try held a seven-hour session with the leaders.

The 14-member team is chaired by Haji and Dr
Adams Oloo as vice-chairman. Members are
Agnes Kavindu, Senator Amos Wako, Florence
Omose, Prof Saeed Mwanguni, Mzee James
Matundura, Major (rtd) John Seii, Bishop Lawi
Imathiu, Hon Maison Leshomo, Morompi ole
Ronkai, Bishop Peter Njenga, Rose Moseu and Governor Roba delivers his speech to participantss during the BBI forum held in Mandera.
Archbishop Zecheus Okoth.

Participants keenly follow the proceedings when the building bridges taskforce visited Mandera to seek their views on the Constitution.