Raila's Statement After Claims of Uhuru Betrayal

President Uhuru Kenyatta appending his signature on the Constitution Of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020 at KICC on November 25, 2020
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta appending his signature on the Constitution Of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020 at KICC on November 25, 2020
PSCU

ODM Party leader Raila Odinga has responded to claims that President Uhuru Kenyatta approved several changes to the BBI Report behind his back.

In a statement shared by Dennis Onyango (the former Prime Minister's Spokesperson), Raila made it clear that he was privy to all the changes made in the BBI process. 

“Mr. Odinga was party to the changes and in agreement with the contents of the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2020.

"He used yesterday's event to highlight the contested proposals that found their way into the Bill as well as those that were abandoned," the statement reads in part.

 c
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga at KICC in Nairobi for the National launch of BBI signatures collection exercise. November 25, 2020.
PSCU

Raila went on to reveal that not all his views were included in the document and that some were simply turned down.

However, he maintained that this was not reason enough for him to walk away from the agreement, nor that it meant Uhuru had shortchanged him.

The statement came following reports from sections of the media and politicians that the President had hoodwinked Raila into signing the amended document.

According to one report that made it to the front page of a local daily,  Raila was said to have been caught off-guard on the removal of the proposals to have political parties determine IEBC nominees in the final report.

Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen also alluded to the ODM party leader being duped by his Jubilee Party counterpart.

He sent out a series of messages to prove that issues raised by Deputy President William Ruto during the launch of the BBI Report at the Bomas of Kenya, were actually considered in the amended draft.

"I told you even Hon. Raila Odinga didn’t know what was being launched. Like Mzee Seii he signed by faith. The document had already been heavily amended to accommodate a number of issues raised by hustlers especially DP at Bomas. Mzee was still marketing the old document," Murkomen tweeted.

President Uhuru and Raila launched the signature collection drive at the KICC, Nairobi on Wednesday, November 25. This kickstarted the process of collecting signatures.

The BBI National Coordination Secretariat co-chaired by Junet Mohamed and Dennis Waweru is looking to collect one million signatures of registered voters verified by IEBC to be able to move the process to the county assemblies.

At least 24 county assemblies must support the Bill, for the process to proceed to a referendum, regardless of the verdict in the National Assembly and Senate.

Raila Odinga signing the BBI document on November 22, 2020.
Raila Odinga signing the BBI document on November 22, 2020.
PSCU