Mombasa Governor, Ali Hassan Joho has finally broken his silence after the Court of Appeal ruling on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) case.
In a statement he shared on Facebook, Joho said the BBI would have created opportunities for all Kenyans and it is sad that they will now have to wait longer for it to happen.
“The Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) was aimed at creating opportunities that would benefit Mombasa and the country at large. It is sad to note that Kenyans will have to wait a little longer to get golden opportunity of enjoying these benefits partly because of bad politics.
It’s this sad reality that disturbs me immensely, both as the Deputy Party Leader of the ODM Party and as a Governor who can attest first-hand to the importance of the BBI report,” read part of his statement.
The Governor mentioned that the proposed 35 percent allocation to the counties would have supported many capital intensive projects in the counties as well as the Ward Development Funds which were all proposed in the BBI.
Joho noted that the Health Services Commission would also have helped streamlined the provision of health services in the country, but all that is now a pipe dream.
“Today, the fate of our 47 counties financing lies in the Supreme Court, the proposed 35% allocation was to go a long way in supporting capital-intensive projects in our devolved units. Not to forget the impact of the Ward Development Funds. Also Important to note is the impact of the Health Services Commission which was to address all matters of Health Care, i.e monitor the implementation of national policies for the management of Health Care workers at County levels and recommend appropriate action. These are just but some of the fruits that BBI was meant to bring to us as a people. It is not too late to rethink it,” he said.
Judges of the Court of Appeal on Friday, August 20, 2021, upheld the High Court ruling that declared Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) unconstitutional and unlawful.
Six judges out of the seven, ruled to uphold the High Court’s ruling on May 13, 2021, declaring the BBI initiative null and void.
