Raila Announces BBI’s Next Step After Uhuru Shows No Commitment
Raila Announces BBI’s Next Step After Uhuru Shows No Commitment
Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga has announced the next step of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
Speaking on Friday, November 13, at his Capitol Hill offices after meeting coastal leaders, Raila announced that the collection of one million signatures in preparation for the upcoming referendum will kick off next week.
“We will be launching the collection exercise sometimes next week. We want that exercise to be done as soon as possible so that the matter can be handed over to IEBC,” Raila said.
The ODM boss dismissed calls to amend the report saying that the time for giving views was up, and the process has to move forward.
Raila maintained that the report will only be subjected to editing saying that no new ideas in the report.
“We’re not going to bring in substantive new issues, these are basically editorial issues which are being captured. There are certain issues which probably had been mentioned but were not captured, they’re being added.”
The former Prime Minister wants the process done quickly adding that the BBI Bill will be ready by April 2020 in readiness for a referendum.
He assured the coast leaders that the issues they have raised will be included in the final decument before it is subjected to a referendum.
“This matter, as already mentioned before, should be concluded by the latest April next year. That is where we are as far as BBI is concerned.”
Raila also faulted a group of church leaders who have vowed to reject the report if their issues will not be included.
“The clergy had an opportunity to express their views for two years, they are right to express their reservations, it is a democratic society but we will go with the views of the majority,” he said.
Raila’s latest statement comes as even several groups mount pressure on him and President Uhuru Kenyatta to review of the report.
