BBI would have resulted in an imperial presidency, says Ruto

Deputy President William Ruto has lauded Friday’s Court of Appeal BBI judgement, saying the proposed amendments by the Building Bridges Initiative would have created an imperial presidency which would have had control over Parliament and the Judiciary.

The DP was addressing mourners in Mavirivirini village in Mwavumbo Ward, Kwale County during the burial of Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya’s mother who died on Monday night.

"If there was a much more dangerous constitutional change, it was the BBI. It was going to roll back all the gains we had. We fought for almost 30 years against an imperial presidency. The BBI was going to install the imperial presidency in a very unprecedented way,” DP Ruto said.

He said if the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (BBI Bill) had become law, Kenya would have had a president who was going to control the legislature through the appointment of the Members of Parliament into the executive and control the Judiciary using an ombudsman.

He thanked God that the BBI failed and asked Kenyans not to accept to be lied to.

Dangerous

"BBI was dangerous and we thank God it failed. We are glad that God brought the reggae to a halt," the deputy president told the mourners.

On Friday, the Court of Appeal declared the quest to amend the Constitution through the BBI as unconstitutional. 

A seven-judge bench upheld the decision of the High Court, which nullified the BBI process, ending the push to hold a referendum to amend the Constitution before the 2022 General Elections.

At the same time, DP Ruto apologised to those who felt he had offended them, but maintained that he is unmoved and unshaken in his quest for a ‘hustler nation’ and the urge to improve the lives of ordinary Kenyans.

"We cannot take positions for an individual at the expense of the millions of Kenyans. I will apologise to anyone who feels offended but I have no space to retreat or surrender. We are moving forward," the deputy president reiterated.

He urged politicians to start thinking about small-scale businesses and have a Kenya that no one is left behind.

Discuss hustlers

"When will we discuss the young [people] who are jobless? We are not going to discuss positions but the hustlers and how to improve the economy," he added.

The DP Was Accompanied by MPs Aisha Jumwa (Malindi), Kimani Ichung’wah (Kikuyu), John Wanjiku (Kiambaa), Feisal Abdallah (Msambweni), Benjamin Tayari (Kinango) and Taita Taveta Woman Rep Lydia Haika.

Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi and former Chief of Defence Forces Samson MWathethe were also in attendance.

[email protected]