BBI Event Highlights: Video of Uhuru, Raila Trading Barbs

President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga during the launch of the referendum Bill and national signature collection drive on Wednesday, November 25.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga during the launch of the referendum Bill and national signature collection drive on Wednesday, November 25.
PSCU

There was a brief awkward moment after a video of President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM Leader Raila Odinga was played at an event where they were attending to launch the signature collection phase of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report. 

The bitter exchange of words was contained in a documentary that was exhibited at the event held at the KICC on Wednesday, November 25. It was meant to demonstrate the path from conflict and reconciliation that led to the famous March 2018 handshake and the BBI process that followed. 

"Saa saba mchana, mtu wa Kitendawili awe amepanga virago ameanza kwenda nyumbani (By 1pm in the afternoon, the ODM leader should have packed his bags ready to go home)," the president was heard saying in one of the videos.

"Sasa leo namwambia Uhuru Kenyatta na Ruto yake, aje na team yake ( I am daring Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy Ruto to bring it on)," the ODM leader stated.

President Uhuru Kenyatta speaking at KICC on November 22, 2020.
President Uhuru Kenyatta speaking at KICC on November 22, 2020.
File

As the videos were showcased, the president and the ODM leader, could be seen fidgeting in apparent awkwardness. The President looked down while Odinga smiled looking away. . 

At the time of the campaigns, the two leaders were not exactly seeing eye to eye and would throw jabs at each other in a bid to win over voters.

In his speech on Wednesday, the president rallied Kenyans to endorse it saying that it would ensure a peaceful country even after the elections.

"This report was drafted because of the problems we went through after the 2017 elections and we noticed that this is a problem that we went through every time after an election took place." 

“The need for change of our Constitution has been with us for some time. We need together to strengthen the 2010 constitution. We are only amending it, not changing it. The first of many to come over time as Kenyans change and evolve,” the Head of State added.

For the draft constitutional amendment bill to be get into a referendum vote, one million registered voters are required to sign in support of the changes. It must also be supported by at least 24 out of the 47 county assemblies. 

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will then verify the signatures after which a national referendum will be called where all registered voters will have a chance to vote either in support or reject the proposed laws. 

“This document is alive, it supposed to treat the challenges we face as a country, let us not treat it as an enemy. Let us come together,” he stated.

ODM leader Raila Odinga addressing a press conference on Monday, November 23, 2020.
ODM leader Raila Odinga addressing a press conference on Monday, November 23, 2020.
Twitter