ODM leader Raila Odinga has conceded defeat after the BBI bill judgment on August 20 which was another blow to his push to amend Kenya’s constitution before the 2022 General Election.
After the long awaited decision by the Court of Appeal, a 7-judge bench upheld the High Court ruling which declared the BBI bill process illegal, null and void.
Six out of 7 members of the Court of Appeal upheld that the BBI process was unconstitutional, dealing a blow to Raila Odinga, President Uhuru Kenyatta and their supporters who were eager to have Kenya’s 2010 constitution amended through a referundum.
Just before the final BBI judgment, the ODM leader who has been among the biggest proponents of the plan to amend the constitution before next year’s election said it is time to move on from the stalemate.
In a press statement posted to his social media accounts, Raila Odinga said that the BBI bill judgement is not the end of the conversation on changes to the constitution.
“It is likely that this is not the end of the conversation and the parties involved will each make their own decisions on how to proceed from the decision that has been delivered today,
“That is welcome, as the issues involved need to be deliberated upon to the fullest extent,” read part of Raila’s statement.
He further divulged that he was ready to accept any route that the BBI bill judgement would take.
“For us, as we have stated before, we shall engage only to the extent that circumstances will require. But we feel that we have to move on. This is not an indication of our regard to this noble initiative,” he said.
Raila added that his focus will now shift towards other burning issues in the country.
“Far from that, we feel that we must now see the forest for the trees, and pursue the bigger goal of setting the rest of the issues facing this country right,
The Building Bridges Initiative was never a destination but a journey in an ever evolving way of life.”
Before the landmark judgement by the court of appeal, Raila Odinga had declared publicly that he will not challenge the decision of the court further.
