ODM leader Raila Odinga yesterday said they expect the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) referendum Bill to be approved by the requisite 24 counties before the end of this month.
The Bill requires approval by half of the 47 county assemblies to move to the next stage.
Raila lauded his home county of Siaya for being the first Assembly to pass the bill.
He defended the Siaya’s Assembly from accusations it did not carry out public participation on the Bill. He said that had been done on Tuesday when he met MCAs from ODM-controlled counties.
“Siaya, Mombasa, Kakamega, Kilifi and Vihiga MCAs did not turn up for our meeting and we understand that in Siaya they were busy conducting public participation. They wanted to be the first to approve the Bill and they have set an example for the others,” Raila added.
He was speaking during a breakfast show on Inooro FM. Raila traced the long history of the ‘handshake’ and the BBI accusing Deputy President William Ruto of disowning a process he was involved in and consulted on from the start.
“On the day we had our handshake with (President) Uhuru Kenyatta, we first went to sign a document co-authored by lawyers Paul Mwangi representing me and Martin Kimani representing the President. I remember Uhuru called Ruto in my presence to inform him of our impending announcement. I also reached out to Kalonzo who was unavailable on phone and Musalia Mudavadi,” Raila said.
He said of the 14-member BBI steering committee they jointly formed, sharing seven slots each, Uhuru allowed Ruto to pick three names.
He named those picked by Ruto as James Matundura, Major (Rtd) John Seii and Agnes Kavindu Muthama.
Raila named those appointed by Uhuru as Garissa Senator Mohamed Yusuf Haji (chairman), Bishop Lawi Imathiu, Maison Leshomo and Bishop Peter Njenga.
That would leave Saeed Mwaguni, Rose Moseu, Archbishop Emeritus Zaccheaus Okoth, Adams Oloo, Busia Senator Amos Wako, Florence Omose and Morompi ole Ronkei as the members Raila appointed into the committee.
“You can now see everything they have been saying about BBI is not based on an honest disclosure but on narrow personal interest. The truth is they started opposing the BBI team even before it started its work, citing wrong priorities and other issues,” Raila said.
Raila also defended public resources to be used in the possible BBI referendum as a necessary expense of democracy saying no more than Sh5 billion should be used on the final vote.
Raila said he and Uhuru had looked at the stark choices they had after the divisive 2017 election and decided to do what was best for Kenya’s posterity.
“Uhuru was faced with the reality of our civil disobedience making Kenya ungovernable and twittering on the brink of a Somalia. I was faced with the reality of being arrested and charged with treason possibly sentenced to hang,” he said.
He, however, said they had remained good friends with Uhuru for many days and refer to each other as brothers due to their families’ history in the pre-independence days.
“When Uhuru’s father Jomo Kenyatta was detained in 1952 over the Mau Mau troubles, it was my father Jaramogi Odinga Oginga who took care of Mama Ngina Kenyatta,” Raila said.
He said Ruto’s allies had no right to refer to descendants of the two men as dynasties saying they were self-made and their families had undergone years of hardship in their own right.
“If I was a dynasty, what was I doing in detention three times?” Raila said.
Later, during a meeting with leaders from Kajiado, Raila said the country should prepare for a big referendum win.
He said the political momentum was on the side of those rallying the country behind BBI, saying there were all indications of a major win in the assemblies and subsequently at the referendum.
He made the declaration even as he claimed those opposed to the proposed constitutional changes were using money in an attempt to sabotage the push.
Raila also disclosed that they have lined up a series of rallies across the country to sell the document ahead of the planned June plebiscite.
“I see a big win in the assemblies and also in the referendum,” said Raila.
“The entire country is coming together. We have the momentum on our side in support of the BBI. There are those who want to oppose it but still don’t know whether they should support it, oppose or whether should just be lukewarm,” he said.
[Wainaina Ndung’u and Ndung’u Gachane, Moses Nyamori]
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