Raila Reacts After 38 County Assemblies Endorse BBI Bill

ODM leader Raila Odinga has reacted to the passing of the BBI Constitutional Amendment Bill in more than 24 county assemblies as required by the law.

Odinga commended Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) for overwhelmingly endorsing the BBI Bill and refusing to buy the lies and misinformation peddled against the document by its opponents.

“I thank members of those county assemblies (MCAs) and our governors who refused to give in to mistrust, cynicism, brinkmanship, and fearmongering and passed the Bill resoundingly,” Raila said through Facebook on Tuesday.

“I know for a fact that Kenyans are not slow learners when it comes to recognizing and seizing moments of change.”

He maintained that the document will ensure prosperity and equitable sharing of national resources, adding that it will give Kenyans much-needed reforms to create a united, inclusive, stable, and prosperous nation.

The BBI Bill proposes among others, the increasing of county allocation from the current 15 percent to 35 and the creation of 70 more constituencies across the country. It also introduces the position of the prime minister and two deputy prime minister positions.

As of Tuesday evening, the Bill had received the approval of 38 county assemblies and rejected by one—Baringo.

Eight county assemblies including Nandi, Uasin Gishu, Kericho, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Kilifi, Turkana, Wajir, and Mandera.

Although the Bill needs to be tabled in both the National Assembly and the Senate, the referendum is confirmed since the decision of the two Houses—whether endorsing or rejecting the Bill—does not change the county assemblies’ endorsement.

Once the two Houses make their decisions on the Bill, the Speakers will communicate to the President, who will, in turn, send a message to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to hold a referendum within 90 days.