President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga will deploy state resources to collect signatures for the Building Bridges Initiative referendum, it has emerged.
The country is expected to hold a referendum by the end of this year, even though there have been squabbles among the politicians.
A section of the leaders are the original BBI draft was to be implemented via parliament opposed to the allies of Raila who have been seen to advocate for the referendum.
Minority Leader John Mbadi now says the state shall deploy chiefs and their assistants to fasten the collection of signatures for a referendum.
“This is a government project. It is a presidential task force. Chiefs will be involved. As ODM we will also help with our machinery,” said Mbadi.
Previously, such signatures have been collected by initiators of the referendum, and the use of state officers will be divergent from the previous approach.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has often said that the Building Bridges Initiative is a state project.
Raphael Tuju said the debates around the BBI has clouded the public and it was just reasonable to dispense with it as soon as possible.
“Being a political process there is a need to dispense with it. It is not about having a sinister motive but common sense so that the country is not held in limbo,” said Tuju.