Deputy President William Ruto has said some leaders are using Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) to get to power.
He said after failing to get the people’s nod, the politicians were now using shortcuts to sneak into leadership.
Dr Ruto noted that the current change of tune that there must be a referendum after the publication of the BBI report is part of the scheme.
He asked Kenyans not to be scared by the threats of a referendum by the leaders.
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“About 99 per cent of the BBI can be implemented without any difficulty. But there are people who do not want that report to be implemented without dividing Kenyans,” he noted.
Their goal from the word go, Dr Ruto added, was not the report but looking for a way to divide Kenyans to advance their politics.
He spoke on Saturday during a prayer service at Kangundo Catholic Church in Machakos County where he also opened the Kangundo Medical Training College.
The Deputy President was accompanied by MPs Fabian Muli (Kangundo), Nimrod Mbai (Kitui East), Vincent Musyoka (Mwala), Victor Munyaka (Machakos Town) and Kisii Deputy Governor Joash Maangi.
Dr Ruto urged leaders to utilise the various government departments, commissions and Parliament to implement the BBI report and avoid the costly path of holding a referendum.
“If, as a country, we are not ready to respect the rule of law and not prepared to work with relevant institutions set up by the Constitution, then we will never solve our problems using personalities and ethnicities,” he explained.
The Deputy President called on leaders to lower the political temperatures in the country and instead hold sober talks on the proposed constitutional changes.
Dr Ruto said even though he had not seen a section of the BBI report that required a referendum, he had no problem with one.
He urged Kenyans to remain calm and ignore threats from those opposing the BBI report.
Mr Mbai dismissed the calls for a referendum, saying the report could easily be passed by the National Assembly.
He said funds to be used for the referendum should be utilised to sort out some of the country’s pressing needs like provision of water, roads, electricity and hospitals.
Mr Musyoka wondered why some individuals wanted to take the report back to the people yet the report claims to have captured the views of the public.
“There is nothing in the BBI report to be rejected because there is nothing new in it. This report can be passed in the National Assembly without a referendum.”
Mr Musyoka said Kenya will not change out of the number of laws it adopts but through selfless leadership committed to the country’s transformation.
He said opposition leaders were never interested with the BBI report but competitive politics aimed at setting the stage for 2022 elections.
On his part, Mr Munyaka said those who have known Raila Odinga understand the political gimmicks he employs after every election he loses.
