l’m not to blame for BBI debacle, Ruto maintains
DPPS
Deputy President William Ruto has said he is not to blame for the collapse of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).
The DP said the process did not take into account opinions of majority of Kenyans, including himself.
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Ruto said he could not have been wrong if the courts were in agreement with his stand that BBI had serious constitutional flaws.
“How can anybody hold it against me that I did not support BBI when I clearly stated my position on matters that are controversial and unconstitutional, yet the court has vindicated me that the document had constitutional challenges?” he posed.
He said had the BBI proponents considered the issues he had raised, they would have ended up with a document that would have received support from across the board.
Ruto maintained he executed his mandate of advising the President on the shortcomings of BBI.
He said: “My responsibility as the Deputy President is to advise the President, in accordance with our Constitution, as I see it. And I did my duty and informed him of the mistakes in BBI.”
He added: “It would have been a big mistake if I had not raised the issues yet I knew they were there.”
Deputy President spoke yesterday at his Karen residence in Nairobi during a consultative meeting with grassroot leaders and opinion shapers from Nyeri.
At the same time, the Deputy President told his competitors that he was not available for a shouting match, as he was busy with his bottom-up economic revolution.
He instead advised those in the Opposition to seek and alternative agenda instead of engaging in pointless character assassination.
“I have seen some members of the Opposition trying to have me engage them in an altercation. Sorry I am going to disappoint you. I am busy with bottom-up economic revolution, he said.
Same energy
The Deputy President assured Kenyans the bottom-up economic model will be implemented with the same energy and resource allocations just like the Standard Gauge Railway.
MPs present were Rigathi Gachagua (Mathira), Rahab Mukami (Nyeri), Rehema Jaldesa (Isiolo), Halima Mucheke (Nominated), Falhada Iman (Nominated), Wangui Ngirici (Kirinyaga), Njuguna Wanjiku (Kiambaa), Anab Gure (Garissa), John Muchiri (Manyatta), Mwambu Mabonga (Bumula) and Benjamin Gathiru (Embakasi Central).
Gachagua said Mt Kenya leaders and their supporters will back Ruto’s candidature because of his agenda for Kenyans.
He added that Mt Kenya leaders will not have negotiations with the DP about positions but the needs of the people.
Legislator further stated that the region has held top Government positions, including the presidency but still suffered, citing recent demolitions of kiosks and homes.
“We are not going to have negotiations about positions of power. We want to have a conversation about the needs of our people,” he noted.
Gathiru said Mt Kenya business people are the most affected in the ongoing demolitions.
He said: “We will form a government that supports small business owners, not one that demolishes their premises.”
Falhada asked those opposed to the bottom-up economic model to exercise maturity and stop unnecessary insults.
Ngirici lauded the DP for spearheading the bottom-up economic model that she said will give Kenyans at the bottom of the pyramid economic freedom.
