Deputy President William Ruto has defended his absence from the event that marked the launch of signature collection for the BBI report held at the KICC yesterday.
Ruto claimed he was not invited to the event attended by handshake partners, President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga.
The DP was at his official residence in Karen watching TV as President Kenyatta and Odinga led the country in advancing steps towards overhauling the 2010 constitution.
Ruto’s name was also missing in the signature collection’s that ended with Raila inviting the President Kenyatta to give the final speech.
But the DP who has criticised the report for creating positions for the dynasty members said there was still room for consensus.
Even with the SIGNATURE launch there is still a real chance at CONSENSUS for a NON-DIVISIVE referendum that will give kenyans the opportunity to EXPRESS themselves without an US vs THEM, WIN vs LOSE contest. UNITY is the STRENGTH needed to fight COVID19 and organise the ECONOMY.
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) November 25, 2020
Ruto listed his six reasons for having preservation on the documet during its launch at the Bomas of Kenya on October 26.
But out of the six issues the DP raised, three were addressed before the presentation of the Bill including the resumption of the independence of the police and the idea to have the IEBC commissioners picked by political parties.
Ruto is against the document’s proposal to have the Judiciary Ombudsman appointed by the Executive and formation of a Police Council chaired by the Interior Ministry’s CS when the country is calling for independence of police.
He also criticized the document for failing to address the winner-takes-it-all headache and for turning a blind eye to the issues raised by farmers.
DP’s allies have however maintained that there is till room for a consensus meaning that they will not take a hard stance that ODM is yearning for in the build up to 2022.
“There are those itching to have us lead a No campaign with a desire to have a divisive process purely for political expediency hoping they will use it to resuscitate their dwindling 2022 campaign, they are not ready to listen to any voice of reason,” said Kikuyu MP Kamau Ichung’wah.
