Ruto on Constitution: Pursue public needs rather than personal gains

Kenya should be guided by needs of the public rather than personal interests, DP William Ruto has said.

“We are all duty-bound to respect the Constitution to guarantee an equal, just and fair society. Whatever we pursue, it must be guided by the needs of the public,” he said.

Ruto was speaking when he hosted a delegation of grassroot leaders from Narok County accompanied by Ken Aramat (Narok East), Gabriel Tongoyo (Narok West), Soipan Tuya (Narok) and Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira), Karen, Nairobi County.

His remarks comes in the wake of BBI appeal case that is currently ongoing.

The case is currently being heard by a seven-judge bench led by Court of Appeal president Daniel Musinga.

Ruto has in the past been against amending the constitution saying it is for a few individuals who want to stay in power.

In an interview on KTN, Ruto accused the Head of State of trying to use “state power and influence” to amend the constitution through BBI.

He said the move by the President and his handshake partner Raila Odinga would be "very dangerous” for the country and lauded the courts for stopping the process.

“It cannot be that you can change the constitution the way you want, in the manner in which you want, to the extent you want, because you have power, you have influence and you can use a mechanism,” Ruto said. 

He said the attempt by the BBI to amend the Constitution through the Constitutional Amendment Bill 2020 will take the country back to the late President Moi’s era.

Ruto added that the constitution can only be changed through the legal processes that have been set.

High Court judges on May 17 declared the process illegal and unconstitutional and censured the electoral agency for plans to hold a referendum without proper public participation. 

President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM boss Raila Odinga, key proponents of the push to change the Constitution, are seeking to convince the Court of Appeal judges to clear the road for a referendum.

During submissions, Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto laid out nine thematic areas that the Attorney General will use in a bid to overturn the High Court judgement that nullified BBI.

In his submission to the seven-judge bench, Ogeto had appealed to the court to 'rewrite the wrong' that was done by the five-judge bench at the High Court which stopped the BBI process.

Ogeto argued there was never an intention to make certain parts of the Constitution unamendable as the High Court had ruled.