- He trashes Aukot bid saying source of signatures IEBC used to approve Bill unknown
- Ruto team says Kenyans will support review of Constitution to ease wage burden
ODM leader Raila Odinga on Friday urged Kenyans to support the Building Bridges Initiative instead of Punguza Mizigo.
The African Union envoy for Infrastructure said the bid by Thirdway Alliance leader Ekuru Aukot, in whose home ground he spoke, doesn't have a chance.
Raila was in Turkana for the Tobong'ulore cultural festival at Ekales centre, Lodwar. He was hosted by Governor Josphat Nanok.
His tour came a day after Deputy President William Ruto graced the festival, with politicians accompanying setting conditions for backing the BBI process.
The Ruto team said Kenyans will rally behind the proposed review of the Constitution if it will ease the wage burden on them.
But Raila, in wooing Turkanas to back the process, said the BBI is part of the journey to Canaan that he promised Kenyans when he bid for the presidency in 2017.
The ODM leader vouched for the initiative which followed his handshake with President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018, ending days of tension in the nation.
Raila said the nine-point agenda that formed his agreement with Uhuru is grounded on the long-held promise to liberate Kenyans from the excesses of corruption, negative ethnicity and lack of values.
To the ODM leader, the BBI has a better chance of representing an all-inclusive view of Kenyans, citing the 47-county tour of the team led by Mandera Senator Yusuf Haji.
Raila gave the strongest hint that together with Uhuru, they would publish the recommendations by the 14-member task force.
"There will be a debate when the report has been published. More opinions will be sampled before the question is framed formally by way of a bill," he said.
Raila trashed Aukot's bid saying the source of the signatures that IEBC used to approve the Bill remain unknown.
"Changing the Constitution is not a matter of sitting in an office and writing a bill without asking anyone, collect signatures whose source we don't know and then come here telling us you want to reduce our load."
The ODM leader extended an olive branch to Aukot to hold talks with them as people must agree on matters constitutional change.
"We don't want to force anyone. Let us work as one people," Raila urged the locals.
He was accompanied by Siaya Senator James Orengo, Suna East MP Junet Mohammed and the host Loima Mp Jeremiah Lomurkai.
Orengo said devolution has worked in many counties adding that part of the gains by BBI would be more monies to devolution.
"We want Kenyans to support the BBI so that allocation of all counties can be increased for better development," the Senate Minority leader said.
Junet said the BBI is there to help all Kenyans further urging Kenyans to wait for the fruits of the initiative.
Lomurkai said there is a need for citizens to wait for the task force report and see if it accommodates their issues.
Also present were Governors Alex Tolgos (Elgeyo Marakwet) and Uasin Gishu's Jackson Mandago.
Raila, engaging in his usual humourous banter, rebuffed claims he was behind Nanok's woes saying it was the governor who "left him after he had dug a better well".