Kenya’s Deputy President William Ruto has asked proponents of the failed proposed amendments to the constitution through the building bridges Initiative to apologise to Kenyans for wasting their time.
Speaking when he met women and small-scale businesses from Dagoretti North on Tuesday, August 31, the former Agriculture Minister indirectly said Raila Odinga and the promoters of the bill diverted the government’s attention from delivering its development agenda.
“The BBI proponents must apologise to Kenyans. They wasted our country’s time. For four years, they diverted the government’s attention from delivering its development agenda,” he said in an apparent reference to Raila Odinga who was among the chief proponent of BBI.
He accused the promoters of the bill of lying to Kenyans that BBI was good for the country when they clearly knew that the Constitution of Kenya Amendment Bill 2020 was meant to create an imperial president and expanded executive for a few individuals.
According to the deputy president, the BBI was the biggest fraud in Kenyan history as it was a scheme laced with sweeteners.
Ruto further stated that BBI was an unnecessary burden that was meant to advance some personal interests for a few political leaders rejected by voters.
“You do not need BBI to give university graduates loan holidays. You wanted to use BBI to advance your personal interests,” Ruto added.
This is the latest from Ruto in a string of attacks indirectly directed at Raila Odinga whom the deputy president has severally accused of coming into government ad diverting the main agenda of the Jubilee government.
Seven Court of Appeal Judges on Friday, August 20, upheld a ruling by the Kenyan High Court that declared the BBI illegal, null and void.
The collapse of the BBI at the appellate court raised sharp reactions from promoters of the bill including President Uhuru Kenyatta who said the courts should have left Kenyans to go to a referendum and decide for themselve.
