NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 7 – Deputy President William now says that that he stopped focusing on the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) debate and shifted his attention to fulfilling development projects which he and President Uhuru Kenyatta were engaged in.
Ruto called on proponents of the BBI Bill, to sensitize Kenyans and provide documents for them to read before it is subjected to a national referendum in June.
“The BBI has its own people. You have asked that they give the documents for you to read and I urge them to do so because Kenya belongs to all of us and it is Kenyans who will decide,” Ruto said, “As for me, I decided to focus on national projects because there is just so much to do in this country which requires my attention and that of the President.”
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) kicked off signatures verification last week setting the stage for a national referendum.
Last year, Ruto maintained that Kenyans needed a multi-choice referendum.
The DP said the multi-choice referendum would be the best way to allow Kenyans an opportunity to choose what they want and reject the issues they do not agree with.
He gave an example of Liberia which had a referendum on three issues.
“It is possible to give Kenyans a structured referendum with various issues,” he said, “We will largely have six areas and Kenyans can vote on each of them.”
His proposal was castigated by critics including former Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
Ruto has dismissed the narrative that Kenyans are unintelligent and cannot make choices from an extra seventh ballot with more variables.
“We keep underestimating the intelligence of Kenyans and think that they are fools,” Ruto said last year in December.
Further, Ruto called on leaders to craft ways on how they can assist ordinary Kenyans who are adversely affected by the coronavirus pandemic, especially now that children are going back to school.
“Millions of Kenyans are currently jobless and others are struggling to put food on the table. This is what we should be focusing on as leaders regardless of tribe, status or political affiliation,” he said.
