Deputy President William Ruto has declared that he will not be leading a ‘No’ campaign against the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) after the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2020 was passed by majority of the county assemblies, setting the stage for a referendum by June this year.
Dr Ruto has been cagey about his stance on the referendum, instead calling for consensus on the issues the Bill is supposed to address.
Yesterday’s announcement came as his political bastions in the Rift and Mt Kenya regions, which were largely expected to oppose the proposed law to amend the Constitution, voted for it. So far, only Nandi and Baringo assemblies have voted No. The Baringo matter has gone to the courts.
"Kuna wengine wanatarajia eti mimi nitaongoza mrengo hii ama ile, mimi ni mtu ambaye naamini kwa democrasia, ile itaamuliwa na wakenya, mimi niko tayari kutumia, kama ni katiba ya sasa ama ni katiba ambayo itakuja, mimi niko tayari (There are others who hope that I will lead this or that wing. I am a person who believes in democracy, that will be decided by Kenyans, I am ready to use it, whether it is a current Constitution or a future Constitution, I am ready)" said Dr Ruto at Kobujoi, Aldai constituency.
The DP has previously expressed reservations on a proposal to have parliamentary political parties participate in the appointment of the electoral commissioners, the expansion of the executive, establishment of the National Police Council packed with presidential appointees and creation of the Office of the Judiciary Ombudsman, another appointee of the President.
He has also pushed for the strengthening of the Senate to have effective oversight on county governments.
The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020 addressed some of the DP’s misgivings. For instance, the proposal to have parliamentary parties have a role in the appointment of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioners was dropped as was that on creating a police council.
But yesterday, while on a tour of Nandi County, the second-in-command said he believes in democracy and he is ready to work with any outcome Kenyans will be comfortable with.
Isolated in government and staring at what would be an anti-establishment stab at the top job in 2022, the DP in what looked like responding to his boss President Uhuru Kenyatta, Opposition chief Raila Odinga, Amani National Congress (ANC) leader Musalia Mudavadi, Wiper Democratic Movement’s Kalonzo Musyoka, Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula, Kanu’s Gideon Moi and National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) boss Charity Ngilu, he underscored the need of everyone on board despite having divergent views on the Constitutional making process.
Yesterday, the DP said the BBI should be free from threats, intimidation and blackmail.
According to Dr Ruto, those who have decided to employ intimidation and blackmail for the BBI to sail through are 'dictators' who do not deserve to be in any leadership capacity of the country.
