New details have emerged about a secret meeting that Deputy President William Ruto held at his home that influenced his allies to change tune and support the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
According to a report by People Daily, the meeting that took place at the DP's Nairobi residence was aimed at avoiding a confrontation between him and President Uhuru Kenyatta over the possibility of a referendum.
The report also indicated that Ruto's allies were seeking to wrestle away former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's grip on the initiative.
Quoting an MP privy to the meeting, the publication further pointed out that Ruto himself was scheduled to attend some of the meetings to drum up support for the initiative that seeks to address inclusion and help end corruption among other objectives.
"The resolve is to take the battle to Raila's door. Being a government project, we don't want a situation where the BBI forums are being used as platforms to attack the DP," stated the MP.
In a presser held on Tuesday, January 21, at the Serena Hotel in Nairobi, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen announced that all Jubilee Party leaders had resolved to join ODM Party leader Raila Odinga in the BBI consultative meetings.
"We will be participating in all public BBI rallies across the country and this weekend we will be in Mombasa together with the BBI team.
"Unfortunately, even before the period was defined, and to our profound dismay, it has come to our attention that a section of the political leadership already commenced public rallies aimed at politicising the BBI process," he stated.
The same day, the DP hinted, during his conversation with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, that he was ready to work with Raila on the BBI process contrary to assertions in the public domain.
"When we started the process many people thought I will not support it. They said when we have Ruto on the other side, we have a contest that will be used for politics in the future.
"There is a push to try and create camps. I have taken a decision to ensure there are no camps. We don't want to have an 'us vs them' contest even if it means accommodating some things we don't agree with," stated Ruto.
The next BBI rally is slated to take place in Mombasa on Saturday, January 25, 2020.
Raila and his team had previously held BBI rallies in Kisii and Kakamega in which the attendees attacked the DP arguing that he was not fit to occupy the highest office in the land.
In retaliation, Ruto mocked them for attacking him in a meeting that was drumming up support for an all-inclusive Kenya.
