BBI Referendum Should Not Cost More Than Sh5 Billion, Raila Says
ODM leader, Raila Odinga has weighed in on the budget for the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) referendum.
Odinga, who spoke during an interview on Inooro FM on Thursday, insisted that the exercise cannot cost Sh14 billion as earlier projected by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
He lamented that the cost of an election in Kenya is one of the highest in the world, noting that the country spends an average of $7 (Sh770) on a single ballot, which should not be the case.
Odinga pointed out that exercise should not cost taxpayers more than Sh5 billion even as he dismissed Deputy President William Ruto’s calls to have a multiple-choice referendum held together with next year’s general elections.
“Right now Kenyans are voting 6 ballots…how can we now bring a 7th ballot which also has choices? It will be challenging to 40 percent of Kenyans who don’t even know how to read and write,” he stated.
Odinga commended Siaya for being the first county assembly to approve the BBI Constitutional Amendment Bill and exuded confidence that at least 24 counties will pass it before the end of February.
He further played down claims that President Kenyatta coerced MCAs to pass the Bill by promising them car grants.
“Nobody has said BBI has to pass by force…this is propaganda by some leaders who want to get into leadership with the current system of administration which may result in chaos. MCAs asked the president about the car grants and the president did it, he still could do it without BBI…even if he bribed them he cannot bribe Kenyans to pass it,” he said.
“We’re a democratic nation…those who are rejecting the BBI saying that the 2010 constitution has not been implemented have their right but what is making the 2010 Katiba not to be fully implementable is due to the heavy issues addressed in BBI …the Linda Katiba team is a faction of TangaTanga.”
Comments (9)
Waste of 5B. Why can this majambazi put this money in building schools, hospitals and roads?
Raila, you are an architect to the 2010 Katiba. You gave the country a selfish, mean spirited Katiba. Now you are here again selling the BBI. What wrongs will it address? It is all about your ego and waste.
Raila said we have the best constitution in the world but now he wants it changed. Hard to satisfy a loser
As if 5b is peanuts. But for a man worthy billions it is. For the majority of Kenyans who sleep hungry, have no access to healthcare and all their adult children are jobless, 5b can make a change if used, not on a wasteful BBI but to feed and lift the families out of poverty. Raila and his ill are out of touch.
Tanga Tanga supports BBI.
How are the people opposed to BBI also supporters of BBI???
Make it make sense Raila.
Make it Make sense.
BBI is evident that secession is the only way Kenyans will move forward.
At end of it, we will demand our wasted back from the two individuals. They are the manufactures of this bogus project called BBI.
Raila is a self serving individual. He could care less about the ordinary Kenyans. We have been here before. Another fraud by these bad actors. Five billion Kenya shillings is a lot of money to be wasted on these shenanigans. Go away Raila and stay away.
Rails position was not more than 2b just last month. Now he says 5b. Tomorrow he will be for 10b.