Deputy President William Ruto has warned that the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) could hit a dead end if the conversation around proposals in the report will not be conducted in an open and all-inclusive manner.
Speaking on Sunday in Shianda market, Kakamega County, DP Ruto cautioned BBI proponentss against using the “nobody can stop reggae” rallying call while seeking support for the BBI.
He said threats and insults will only serve to jeopardize the whole BBI process.
“Hawa watu watajua hawajui… Let us have a people centred all-inclusive conversation on the Constitution. Don’t tell us about nobody can stop reggae. That reggae will stop. If the people’s issues are not in this Constitution discussion, oh my friend it will stop!” said Ruto.
“Walete maneno pole pole. Wacha kisirani, wacha madharau. Kenya ni yetu sisi wote. Hakuna vile mtu anaweza tuambia eti hii BBI nobody can stop reggae. Ati mupende musipende. Kenya sio yenu peke yenu,” the DP added.
We want to have a decent conversation on the Building Bridges Initiative that is people-centred and all-inclusive. The discussion must be heavy on ordinary Kenyans’ issues such as jobs generation and poverty eradication rather than leaders and positions. pic.twitter.com/rQxYfVAtXC
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) October 25, 2020
Ruto insisted that the BBI conversation should focus on how to improve the livelihoods of the ordinary citizens and not creation of leadership positions.
“Tumeona BBI imejazwa mambo ya wadosi. Iko na mambo ya Prime Minister, Imperial President na mambo ya vyeo ya wakubwa. Hatuna shida na hiyo lakini lazima kuwe na mambo ya biashara na kazi ya huyu mwananichi wa hapa chini,” said Ruto.
He added: “We can talk about inclusivity with leaders but we must talk about inclusivity about people who have been locked out by poverty and unemployment. How are they going to be part of Kenya? That discussion ladies and gentlemen we must have and it is non-negotiable. This time round we must start with the ordinary people of Kenya before we discuss matters to do with leaders of Kenya.”
Ruto further proposed that implementation of the Big Four agenda be given a priority instead of creation of more leadership roles.
“I want to suggest that before we talk about leadership positions let us first implement the Big 4 A… The housing programme would have created over 4 million jobs for the hustlers including carpenters, masons, plumbers and so many of our youth,” he said.
