The dishonesty in Ruto-led anti-BBI camp is dangerous to the country, it must be stopped

By Patrick Mureu

The Building Bridges Initiative towards a united Kenya has its shortcomings, like almost all man-made proposals do. But it surely does not make any governance issue worse. Contrary to what its haters- I surely can’t understand why it has so passionate haters in the first place- want people to believe, my reading of the final draft of the proposed bill gives me the impression that it does not have any negative bearing on the 2010 Constitution.

The arguments political opponents of the BBI have been fronting every time they get an opportunity to vent have, in almost all instances, been extraneous and unrelated to the Bill.

Initially, for instance, those opposed to the document’s implementation have argued that we should reject BBI because there are so many issues afflicting the country and it is not a priority. Proponents of this school of thought have mainly focused on the global coronavirus pandemic and its attendant effects on the local economy to justify their resistance. To buttress their hypocritical argument, the de facto NO campaigners have always pushed the notion that putting the country through the rigours of a referendum will be too expensive and the money should be instead channeled to more pressing issues such as cushioning the suffering Kenyans against the effects of the virus. This is a dishonest argument because it is impractical to stop the life of the country simply because there is a pandemic.

Then there’s the argument that the BBI is just about creating positions for a few politicians at the top. Proponents here point out the position of a prime minister and two deputies envisaged in the document for bashing. They deliberately chose to ignore the roles the officers in these offices will play in serving the people, the fact that cabinet ministers will be picked from serving MPs at no extra salaries hence saving on wage bill among others.

Strangely, those peddling the misinformation about the BBI are led by none other that Deputy President William Ruto whose immediate boss, President Uhuru Kenyatta is the architect of the document! Information available in the public also indicates Dr Ruto was involved in crafting the contents of the BBI from the word go and his public opposition is the height of betrayal and dishonesty.

Speaking of honesty, more specifically the lack of it, there is no place where it is clearer than the office and person of the second in command.

For those who have had any doubt that Dr Ruto is lacking in the honesty department must have their minds cleared over the last weekend when his friend and boss, the President, pointed it out.

During his working tour of the Mt Kenya region, Uhuru took time to demonstrate  how his assistant in chief has been lying to the people for obvious malice, pretending to be a friend when in essence he was working against their collective good.

In various meetings with politicians and opinion leaders from the area, the Head of State portrayed Ruto as an impatient and conniving politician who cannot be trusted with the region’s future. The President accused his deputy of outright deceit.

And he gave clear examples to illustrate his conviction that the supposed ally was indeed a saboteur.

From allegedly frustrating proposals to have Mt Kenya region benefit through equity in revenue sharing, misleading local leaders and voters through handouts to giving false promises in order to win the region’s support for his 2022 bid, the President demonstrated why his deputy is a person who does not deserve the country’s top job.

The President equated Ruto to a suitor targeting a bride even after another man has already negotiated and paid bride price. The bride, in this case are the gains in BBI which include more resources to counties and extra constituencies which would ensure more money to the regions. 

Uhuru said refusal by the DP and his allies to support the passage of the third generation revenue sharing formula to ensure money is shared equitably by all counties, was a clear indication that they do not support the interests of the common man. 

Uhuru maintained that the DP was being dishonest about BBI as he (Ruto) was part of the process and wondered why he had changed tune. In deconstructing the lies that have been told about BBI, the President took the people through the benefits they stand to gain through the proposed changes to the constitution. BBI is meant to improve Kenyans’ lives through additional resources and the No camp is only interested in fueling poverty so that they can continue manipulating the masses for personal greed for power.

In essence, Ruto wants the hustlers to remain poor so that he can be coming with tokens so that he can endear himself to them. The level of dishonesty at the second highest office in the land is so high it can kill the nation. We, as country, deserve better.

Mr Mureu comments on socio-political issues. [email protected]