• Deputy President William has questioned why the report has enormous gaps, even after two years of preparation.
• Raila Odinga said that the BBI team will start collecting signatures next week in preparation for the referendum.
Image: DPPS
ODM party leader Raila Odinga reiterated on Friday that all the new proposals to the Building Bridges Initiative report will not be accommodated.
Raila made his remarks after meeting a section of leaders from the coastal region who said they are fully supporting the report.
Regarding the new emerging proposal to the report from various groups in the country, Raila said that the BBI team has been compiling the report for the last two years.
He had earlier said that the report will not be opened again and that the only remaining thing is for the technical team to do the editorial work.
Responding to Raila, Deputy President William has questioned why the report has enormous gaps, even after two years of preparation.
“I hear those who are saying we’ve had we had two years, and there is no more time for views and they are saying that why are people giving their views now when we’d two years,” Ruto said.
He continued that “…how did we end up with a document that has so many gaps after two years?”
Ruto said that the proposals from churches, pastoralists, the Parliament, and the People with Disabilities among others should be considered by the BBI team.
“As you ask why people are giving views now, you should ask yourself why we have a document that has so many gaps and so many people have issues with it. And therein, you will find out the solution that the only thing left is for us to sit down in a consensus manner so that we can harmonise these issues.”
While speaking on Friday, Raila said that the BBI team will start collecting signatures from next week so that IEBC can take over and prepare for the referendum.
"...then we can move towards the next phase of a referendum. This matter should be concluded by the latest April next year,” Raila said.
ODM leader added that issues raised by the coastal delegation of leaders will be reflected in the BBI report.
Some of the religious leaders, Council of Governors, and MCAs still want more information added to the report before being subjected to a referendum.