• Raila said that Building Bridges Initiative took a break following the coronavirus pandemic but it did not stop and will be back very soon.
• Raila said his party has not engaged in any talks with Jubilee about the coalition.
Image: COURTESY
The country could be going for a referendum before the year ends to amend some sections of the 2010 Constitution.
This is according to the ODM party leader Raila Odinga.
His input to the ongoing referendum debate comes after Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni published the Referendum Bill 2020 seeking to amend the Constitution through the popular initiative way.
Raila made the remarks on Tuesday in an interview with one of the local radio stations.
“Lazima referendum ifanyike. Naona ikifanyika kabla ya mwisho wa mwaka huu (Referendum must be held. I see it coming before this year ends), Raila said.
The party leader said that the Building Bridges Initiative debate only took a break following the Coronavirus pandemic but it did not stop.
“We had said that nobody can stop reggae. This Covid-19 is not a person. The reggae is in halftime and it will be back very soon,” Raila said.
Before the Covid-19 cases spiked, the BBI rallies had been held in various parts of the country apart from Nakuru and Nairobi.
The ODM leader said the BBI Steering Committee has enough time to go through the resolutions that had been collected during the rallies before the virus hit the nation and come up with the final report.
Concerning the post-election coalitions, Raila said that the Jubilee party has not approached them and that the only agreement between him and President Uhuru Kenyatta is about the BBI.
“Jubilee haijatuambia kwamba inatutaka sisi tuunde serikali ya mseto. Sisi tuko pamoja kwa mambo ya BBI ili tulete mabadiliko ambayo tuliahidiana mimi na Uhuru ambayo chama chetu iliidhinisha (Jubilee party has not approached us concerning coalition government. The only agreement we have with Jubilee is about the BBI),” Raila said.
This comes at the time when political parties are firming coalitions ahead of the upcoming 2022 general election.
The agreement saw Kanu Senator from West Pokot Samuel Poghisio elected the Senate Majority leader.
Jubilee and Kanu have already struck a deal and the Wiper party is also finalising the deal to join Jubilee and Kanu.
Wiper National Executive Council had given its leader Kalonzo Musyoka a green light following an NEC virtual meeting held last week.
The members unanimously backed the immediate implementation of the cooperation agreement.
The Thirdway Alliance party had dismissed the referendum Bill 2020 proposal saying it will allow the executive to manipulate it.