Githunguri Member of Parliament (MP) Gathoni Wamuchomba has paid tribute to the late former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, describing him as a true statesman and political father who shaped Kenya’s national dialogue.
In a statement shared on Saturday, October 18, 2025, Wamuchomba reflected on a personal encounter with Raila in 2020, at the height of discussions surrounding the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI). She revealed that she had sought his advice on the One-Man-One-Shilling revenue-sharing proposal — a key agenda pushing for equitable resource distribution among counties.
“Baba was a statesman and a real political father. In 2020, we had a one-on-one session. I had sought his counsel on the One-Man-One-Shilling BBI agenda, and he supported it 100 per cent,” Wamuchomba said.
The legislator expressed regret that the initiative was later hijacked by external interests, leading to its collapse.
“They obviously hijacked it and killed it! We shall revisit,” she vowed.
The One-Man-One-Shilling principle was among the most contentious issues within the BBI debate, as it sought to allocate national resources based on population rather than land size — a move largely supported by leaders from densely populated regions such as Central Kenya.
In March 2022, the Supreme Court declared the BBI process unconstitutional, ruling that then-President Uhuru Kenyatta had overstepped his powers by initiating a citizen-led constitutional amendment.
Among its many proposals, BBI also sought to grant Nairobi County a special status due to its role as Kenya’s capital and an international hub hosting major global institutions. The plan aimed to channel more investments into the city’s infrastructure, beyond the limits of the existing revenue allocation formula.
