ODM leader Raila Odinga has hinted that he will not pursue further the constitution amendment bill, popularly referred to as the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), that has been declared null and void by the Court of Appeal.
In a statement, Raila said that the parties involved will each make their own decisions on how to proceed from the decision that has been delivered today
“The decision of the Court of Appeal today is remarkable as it forms part of the continuing conversation on the future of this country and the significance of our new Constitution to the political culture we and the generations that will come after us will practice. It is likely that this is not the end of the conversation,” said Raila.
Read: Blow to BBI Proponents as Court of Appeal Throws Out Petition
“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. 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. Without doubt, we shall deal with all the issues in the months and years that will unfold onwards.”
In a ruling delivered on Friday, a seven-judge bench led by Court of Appeal President Daniel Musinga ruled that the process was illegal and unconstitutional.
Other members of the bench included Justices Roselyn Nambuye, Hannah Okwengu, Patrick Kiage, Gatembu Kairu, Fatuma Sichale and Francis Tuiyott.
A majority of the judges ruled that the BBI process was not a popular initiative as it was backed by President Uhuru Kenyatta in his capacity as the Head of State.
“County Assemblies did not involve resident-citizens in their counties. Some Assemblies ‘passed the Bill in a matter of days without involving the citizens,” Justice Kiage said.
President Kenyatta and his political nemesis-turned-ally, Raila Odinga, unveiled the initiative after striking a political truce on March 9, 2018, following a disputed 2017 presidential poll which caused unrest in some parts of the country.
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