Why Raila’s Efforts To Rescitate BBI Reforms Were Unlikely To Bear Fruit?
The Mt Kenya Times 
Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- IEBC is set to spend billions of shillings in this repeat poll. This money comes from your pockets as tax-payers. Why make us spend these billions for an exercise he knew he would boycott?
- Back to BBI reforms, Raila ‘BBI Reagae’ suffered a devastating set-back when the High Court and Court Appeal suspended the process on ground of failing to meet the constitutional and legal thresholds.
- We have stopped the ‘BBI Reagae’ until when these illegalities and anomalies are re-looked and rectified.
- At this juncture, the question that comes to mind is. Will Raila’s renewed push to re-introduce BBI bear fruits? The courts had pronounced themselves by flagging out the issues contentious issues. Has he sought the remedy?
In eve of ushering in New Year 2023, the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya Coalition leader Raila Odinga announced that the revival of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) would top the list of his priorities in the New Year.
We recall that the BBI process which stood out as a key off-shoot of the ‘Handshake’ between him and then- President Uhuru Kenyatta started to encounter strong tides of opposition right from its inception.
President William Ruto- then Deputy President-and his diehard allies, who led the onslaught, felt the initiative was designed to scuttle Dr Ruto’s bid to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta.
To drive the point home, they queried: Why was Ruto left out of these talks?
Given his position as the second-in-command, the president was supposed to bring him on board and this should have started from day one.
By leaving out, the writing was on wall that Uhuru no longer valued him and, with this, it was only a matter of time before this came to public domain that he had abandoned him.
Uhuru was now preparing to pass the baton to his fiercest rival, Raila Odinga of ODM, a development Ruto allies interpreted as a big betrayal.
During electioneering period, President Uhuru came out openly to drum up support for Raila.
In the previous elections held in 2013 and 2017 respectively, Ruto stood out as one of his key confidante and leading campaigner of the President Uhuru. In 2017, Ruto took the campaign a notch higher.
He would not let Raila, who had a petition at the Supreme Court, have his way after the court ruled in his favor.
The Maraga-led court ordered a repeat presidential poll in 60 days.
Again, Dr Ruto played a leading role to ensure that Uhuru has won the poll.
It is however important to note that Raila boycotted the repeat poll.
In his reaction, Ruto repeatedly told Kenyans. Raila has sensed defeat.
Contrary to impression he has been creating, this has shown us he is a coward of the highest order.
Again, it is unfortunate that he does not care for your interests.
IEBC is set to spend billions of shillings in this repeat poll. This money comes from your pockets as tax-payers. Why make us spend these billions for an exercise he knew he would boycott?
Back to BBI reforms, Raila ‘BBI Reagae’ suffered a devastating set-back when the High Court and Court Appeal suspended the process on ground of failing to meet the constitutional and legal thresholds.
We have stopped the ‘BBI Reagae’ until when these illegalities and anomalies are re-looked and rectified.
At this juncture, the question that comes to mind is. Will Raila’s renewed push to re-introduce BBI bear fruits? The courts had pronounced themselves by flagging out the issues contentious issues. Has he sought the remedy?
For starters, Raila wanted Kenyans to adopt these reforms through the referendum-the popular initiative.
President Ruto’s approach is different.
He is rooting for a parliamentary process, the other method provided by the supreme law to amend the constitution.
With this, it is clear Dr Ruto and ODM leader are not reading the same script.
The two reasons why Dr Ruto is preferring the parliamentary process, are clear and sound.
This will spare the country from spending billions of shillings and also returning our country to another period of toxic and divisive politics.
One of his key proposals is the creation of a full-fledged Office of The Official Opposition leader. Given this scenario, one would expect Raila to change the tack.
If not, his push is unlikely to bear the fruits. Kenyans are facing a lot of economic and social challenges. For this reason, majority of them are not ready for a referendum.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga, a Writer and Political Analyst.
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