7,000 delegates set to attend BBI report launch

More than 7,000 delegates from across the country are expected to attend the launch of the Building Bridges Initiative report by President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga at the Bomas of Kenya today. 

Deputy President William Ruto, whose allies have said they will boycott the event, is expected to attend.  

The launch will kick start a national dialogue on the document that its proponents say will usher in a new dawn for Kenya. 

The auditorium with a capacity of 3,500 people, will host senior national and county government officials. 

Members of County Assemblies, civil society groups, other interested groups and members of the public will occupy the tents erected outside the auditorium which have a capacity of 4,000 delegates.

Hosted events

Others expected at the launch are Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, governors, senators, MPs, and religious leaders, among others.

Bomas of Kenya displays the country’s heritage, including traditional homesteads of various ethnic communities.

It has also traditionally hosted important events in the country’s history such as the journey to re-write the Constitution.

It hosted the 2003-2004 National Constitution Conference which came up with the Bomas Draft Constitution. 

The draft was, however, later revised resulting in what was to be known as the Wako Draft that was rejected in the 2005 referendum. 

Bomas was also the tallying centre of the 2010 referendum on the Constitution.