Raila Odinga explains the content of BBI

Although the President is yet to easen rules on social gatherings, it seems politicians are reading from a different script. Political rallies guised as ‘meet the people tour’ or inspection of projects have become the order of the day. In the past few days, fierce online wars have erupted on who commands huge following between Raila Odinga and William Ruto. Crowd sizes have been posted by Kieleweke and TangaTanga groups.

• 

BBI is proving to be the agenda of most of these political rallies. It doesn’t matter if you support or oppose BBI, it seems its outcome will have direct impact on 2022 elections and the future of the nation. Although the BBI resolutions have not yet been made public, one of its key resolutions seems to be formation of a prime ministerial post. Ruto has opposed this saying there’s no need to add more positions in an already bloated situation.

Ruto for the past days has seen increased fortunes in traditionally Raila’s strongholds. From the time Raila tried his luck for the top seat in 1997, coast region has backed him religiously. Apart from Nyanza, it’s the only region he enjoys cult following. In 2013, all MCAs from Mombasa County came from his coalition. This shows how powerful Raila is in coast. One of the reasons Raila enjoys massive following in Coast is that most residents feel marginalized by successive governments. Marginalization coupled with land issues has made Raila a darling to the coast people. Ruto has started making in roads to the coast area because he represents their hope just like Raila. Unlike Uhuru Kenyatta, Ruto does not carry the burden of a family name.

• 

The popularity of Ruto in coast region made Raila camp there for days in a bid to persuade his wayward sons and daughters. It’s in coast that he hinted he might vie for the presidency for one last time. Raila also told Kenyans that the solution to the country woes would be cured by BBI. It’s the panacea. “With BBI the Prime Minister will be from Parliament. They will be paid from Parliament and only get allowances for holding the PM position. Just like I used to when I was PM,” Raila said.

• 

Raila’s most loyal lieutenant in Coast region, Governor Hassan Joho took a jibe at Ruto’s ambition. “We will do anything possible to stop you because your goal is to bait our youth to vote for you then lead them to a path of destruction” Joho said. Most ODM and BBI supporters have been criticizing Ruto’s development projects terming them as impoverishing handouts.
In support of Joho, Raila said, “Those in government have been there for eight years and now pretend they did not know youth had no jobs, the women are suffering and Kenyans are crying. Now, with two years left, you start bringing bicycles, motorbikes, wheelbarrows. Where were you for all those seven years?”

• 

While Raila and company were castigating Ruto in coast, the DP was in Kitengela where he accused Raila of using BBI to resuscitate a dying political career. Ruto also assured his supporters that they are going to win with or without the deep state. “Threats and intimidations will not deter my quest for the top seat. I am ready to face the ‘deep state.’ They have the ‘deep state and the system,’ we have God and wananchi,” Ruto said.