ODM MPs hit out at DP William Ruto over BBI

A section of Members of Parliament (MPs) from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party have lashed out at Deputy President William Ruto for allegedly opposing the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).

The leaders, led by Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo and his Alego/Usonga counterpart Samuel Atandi, urged DP Ruto to stop undermining his boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta.

According to Mr. Amollo, who spoke on Sunday during the Mashujaa Day celebrations at Nyakongo Primary School, the BBI is a brainchild of President Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga who want a bright future for the country hence the DP should get behind them.

He further stated that they will go round the country with the BBI document to collect more views and come up with a draft constitution which will then be taken to the county assemblies for approval before it is endorsed by Kenyans.

“If the President of the Republic of Kenya said BBI is a good initiative and must pass, who are you as the deputy to come and contradict him? We will endorse and pass the BBI,” said the legislator.

“We want a future that is bright for this country, and in that future, after 56 years, we will also be part of that government together with the rest of Kenyans so that we sustain peace and development. This is not intended to exclude anyone.”

Mr. Atandi, on his part, urged Kenyans to begin thinking of ways to adopt and embrace the BBI document in preparation for its official roll out.

“We are going to begin the process of rolling out the BBI outcome. And therefore, our people, the people of Nyanza who support His Excellency Raila Amollo Odinga, we must begin to think of how we’re going to embrace and adopt the BBI program,” he stated.

The MP added: “I want to encourage leaders that this is not the moment for us to encourage political competition; this is also not the moment for us to begin to practice cheap village politics. Let us not undermine each other; let us work together and ensure that when this begins we are in one accord.”

DP Ruto, taking to Twitter on Friday, said “those working hard to create new fault lines” using the BBI “will fail soo miserably they will be shocked!”

As a democratic society the proposals by BBI will be subjected to an open national conversation where every voice (the weak/strong, the small/big) will be heard. Those working hard to create new fault lines, an us verses them 'clash' will fail soo miserably they will be shocked!

— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) October 18, 2019