Well stick with President Uhuru to the end on BBI, Raila declares

ODM leader Raila Odinga has assured Kenyans that they will stick together with President Uhuru Kenyatta in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) course to the end.

Mr. Odinga says that during the famous March 2018 handshake and the signing of a memorandum that culminated into the BBI, they agreed that none of them would betray the course whose main objective was to create peace and unite the country.

The ODM leader was speaking on Saturday at Lunda Doho Primary School in Siaya during the burial of the late Grace Wandera, wife to Sidindi Ward MCA Mr. Joseph Wandera.

“You recently saw us receiving the BBI report in Kisii then we came to Kisumu. We had promised each other that President Uhuru Kenyatta and I will walk this journey together to it’s logical conclusion and vowed that none of us would betray the handshake. What we are doing is not for Uhuru or Raila to become president and prime Minister but for the sake of the future generation,” said Odinga.

He reiterated that the BBI process is not for personal gain but for the good of all Kenyans and the country at large.

The ODM leader laughed off claims by BBI critics that the process will increase the country’s wage bill, noting that that’s not the case. Odinga said that for instance, the Prime Minister and his deputies shall be selected from among members of parliament thereby adding no burden to the taxpayers.

“There are those who had started opposing the BBI claiming that it was only going to create positions but that is not true. The only positions created are those of the prime minister and his two deputies and all those posts will be held by elected leaders who will just be earning from the parliamentary service commission. Therefore this will not increase the wage bill as claimed by the critics. Those people are saying what they do not know and I’m telling them to read and understand the report,” added Raila.

He was flanked by Siaya Senator James Orengo who stated that the BBI is a train that has kicked off and challenged all Kenyans to come on board, noting that it is the only process that will transform this country.

On his part, Ugunja MP James Opiyo Wandayi challenged Deputy President William Ruto to come clear on his stand about BBI.

Wandayi wondered why the DP who has been a fierce critic of the BBI has suddenly gone mute now that the report has been unveiled and Kenyans given a chance to read it.