- Theuri said the President wants to change the Constitution even before he settles down to work
- Ruto was opposed to the BBI, a process that appeared tailor-made to attract a political alliance that could prevent him, then Deputy President, from ascending to power.
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Law Society of Kenya President Eric Theuri has accused President William Ruto of re-introducing the Building Bridges Initiative, a constitutional amendment process the Supreme Court declared illegal.
Theuri said the move by the President should be resisted and condemned by all Kenyans.
“The President is on a dazzling race to mutilate the Constitution even before the ink dries on the oath he took to defend it,” he stated.
In a memorandum dated December 9, 2022, addressed to the Speakers of the Bicameral Parliament, Ruto proposed amendments to the Constitution enacted in 2010.
A section of leaders has accused him of backtracking on a promise that changing the Constitution would not be a priority for his administration.
Ruto was strongly opposed to the BBI, a process that appeared tailor-made to attract a political alliance that could prevent him, then Deputy President, from ascending to power.
On March 31, 2022, Supreme Court judges said retired President Uhuru Kenyatta had acted unlawfully when spearheading the constitutional reforms.
They said it should have been led by citizens-not a sitting head of state.
Among its key proposals was the introduction of a new post of prime minister.
Ruto now wants members of the two Houses to spearhead the process after the Supreme Court in the BBI case affirmed that the Head of State lacks authority to initiate changes to the Constitution.
Ruto has proposed the creation of an office of the official leader of the opposition, to cure what he says was a constitutional shortfall on the full post-election fate of the minority side.
To enhance Parliamentary oversight of the Executive, the President proposes amendments to the Parliamentary standing orders to facilitate the participation of Cabinet Secretaries or Chief Administrative Secretaries in Parliamentary proceedings, and enable them to respond to questions posed by Members of Parliament in their capacity as the people’s representatives and in the execution of their oversight roles.
And to resolve the long-standing stalemate on the implementation of the gender equity principle, Ruto wants the 13th Parliament to initiate amendments to the country’s supreme law, to establish a formula that will guide the computation of the gender ratio in the House.