•The DP’s comments come as the move to amend the Constitution through the Building Bridges Initiative report gains momentum.
•The BBI team is expected to start collecting one million signatures from Kenyans, in preparation for a referendum.
Speaking when he met Wajir MCAs on Monday, Ruto said the county assemblies must work together and push for progressive engagements around the Building Bridges Initiative.
County assemblies must shun a forced 'Yes-no' campaign around BBI that threatens to be retrogressive for the country, DP William Ruto has said.
Speaking when he met Wajir MCAs on Monday, Ruto said the county assemblies must work together and push for progressive engagements around the Building Bridges Initiative.
"...so that we can build a consensus on the report. A divisive referendum process cannot be used to achieve a united country," he said.
He added: "We must at the moment prioritise the health of our people and focus on countering the effects of Covid-19."
For the country to rally behind BBI, Ruto said, there is an urgent need to improve its presentation and content.
“If we are trying to sort out the problem of divisive elections leading to a divided country via BBI, why then are we after a divisive referendum that would end up tearing apart the country?” he posed.
He said there should be no rush in the process “if we are serious and mean well for this country”.
“Could we be after a different outcome from the BBI other than the cohesiveness of our country?” he said.
“Kenyans should not participate in this constricted agenda. Why should we railroad people to go to the presumed No camp when we can all engage and have a consensus?."
Ruto said the country is headed to a lose-lose outcome from the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) unless the hardline position taken by some of those steering the process is relaxed.
He regretted that the costly two-year product had turned out to be “highly controversial and with so many glaring gaps”.
“Those driving the BBI should not tell Kenyans that they have no time for further amendments. If we cannot enrich the document, then we would end up with a bad constitution because its work was entirely unprofessional,” he said.
He said there should be no rush in the process “if we are serious and mean well for this country”.
The Deputy President said by the look of things, it was clear some quarters were pushing for a YES-NO referendum for political reasons that targets the 2022 polls.
On Sunday, Ruto said the country needs to give more attention to the surging cases as well as deaths related to coronavirus.
Ruto said on Sunday in a tweet that the virus is clearly ravaging the country.
The DP’s comments come as the move to amend the Constitution through the Building Bridges Initiative report gains momentum.
The BBI team is expected to start collecting one million signatures from Kenyans, in preparation for a referendum.
The supporting signatures are then taken to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, which shall verify that the initiative is supported by at least one million registered voters.
If the IEBC is satisfied that the initiative meets the requirements, the Commission shall submit the draft Bill to each county assembly for consideration within three months after the date it was submitted by the Commission.
If a county assembly approves the draft Bill within three months after the date it was submitted by the Commission, the speaker of the county assembly shall deliver a copy of the draft Bill jointly to the Speakers of the two Houses of Parliament, with a certificate that the county assembly has approved it.
If it is approved by a majority (24) of the county assemblies, it shall then be introduced in Parliament.